STATES  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE 


In  Cooperation  with 

Bureau  of  Business  Research,  Northwestern  University 


j  MISCELLANEOUS  CIRCULAR  NO.  54 

WAS  HINGTON,  D.  C. 

OCTOBER,  1925 

f 

EFFICIENT  METHODS  OF  RETAILING  MEAT 


BY 


ROY  C.  LINDQUIST,  Research  Agent  in  Marketing 
Bureau  of  Agricultural  Economics,  Ke:»oarch  Assistant 
Bureau  Business  Research  Northwestern  University 


CONTENTS 


Page 

HAvtr  to  Choose  a  Location .  2 

Relation  of  Store  to  Successful  Business  .  7 

Personnel  and  Management . 14 

Purchasing  . 18 

Refrigeration  and  Care  of  Meat  . 22 

Cutting  of  Meat . 24 

Merchandising . 27 

Meeting  Competition . 40 

Keeping  Records . 43 


WASHINGTON 

-  GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE 
1925 


ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 


Various  organizations  connected  with  the  livestock  and  meat 
industry  assisted  in  the  studies  in  Chicago,  Cleveland,  and  New 
York  upon  which  this  bulletin  is  based.  The  following  organi¬ 
zations  and  their  personnel  deserve  special  mention : 

The  United  Master  Butchers  Association  of  America,  repre¬ 
sented  by  the  Chicago,  Southwest  Side  Chicago,  Ye  Olde  anc  ' 
Washington  Heights,  New  York  City,  and  State  of  New  York 
branches;  the  Institute  of  American  Meat  Packers:  the  Nationnl 
Livestock  and  Meat  Board;  the  National  Association  of  Meat 
Councils;  the  Cleveland  Betail  Meat  Dealers  Association;  rep¬ 
resentatives  of  the  trade  press;  and  the  retailers  whose  shops 
were  studied  who  contributed  information  from  their  own 
experiences. 

The  author  is  indebted  to  Prof.  Horace  Secrist,  Director  of 
the  Bureau  of  Business  Research,  Northwestern  University,  for 
his  valuable  counsel  and  assistance  in  planning  and  guiding  the^ 
study  and  in  preparing  the  report.  | 

STUDIES  IN  RETAILING  OF  MEAT  —  * 

Studies  of  the  retail  marketing  of  meat  were  begun  by  the 
Department  of  Agriculture  in  1920,  when  a  survey  of  agencies 
of  distribution  and  methods  of  merchandising  was  begun.  De¬ 
partment  of  Agriculture  Bulletin  No.  1317  presents  results  of 
this  study. 

A  detailed  survey  of  the  operations  of  retail  meat  dealers  in 
independent  and  chain  stores  in  Chicago,  Cleveland,  and  New 
York  was  begun  in  1923  as  a  cooperative  project  between  thq 
Bureau  of  Business  Research  of  Northwestern  University  and: 
the  Bureau  of  Agricultural  Economics  of  the  United  States,, 
Department  of  Agriculture.  This  bulletin  is  based  upon  that 
study. 

A  survey  of  the  influences  of  methods  and  practices,  costs  of 
retailing,  and  consumers’  meat-buying  habits  upon  the  market 
was  begun  in  July,  1924,  by  the  Bureau  of  Agricultural  Eco¬ 
nomics  of  the  Department  of  Agriculture  in  some  20  cities 
other  than  the  three  mentioned  above.  The  results  ^of  this 
survey  have  been  presented  in  two  preliminary  reports,  the 
first  issued  in  December,  1924,  and  the  second  in  June,  1925. 


II 


UNITED  STATES  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE 

In  Cooperation  with 

Bureau  of  Business  Research,  Northwestern  University 

MISCELLANEOUS  CIRCULAR  No.  54 

Washington,  D.  C.  ▼  October,  1925 


EFFICIENT  METHODS  OF  RETAILING  MEAT 

By  Boy  C.  Lindquist, 

Research  Agent  in  Marketing,  Bureau  of  Agricultural  Economics 
Research  Assistant,  Bureau  of  Business  Research,  Northwestern  University 


CONTENTS 


Page 


How  to  choose  a  location -  2 

Relation  to  volume  of  business-  2 

Rent  of  the  store -  6 

Four  don’ts  in  choosing  a  loca¬ 
tion  -  7 

Relation  of  store  to  successful  busi¬ 
ness  -  7 

Fixtures  and  equipment -  7 

Layout  of  fixtures,  equipment, 

and  merchandise -  7 

Sanitation _  11 

Lighting _  13 

Rules  for  lighting  a  shop -  13 

Personnel  and  management -  14 

The  proprietor _  14 

Employees _ 15 


Page 


Purchasing _  18 

Rules  for  efficient  buying -  21 

Refrigeration  and  care  of  meat -  22 

Essentials  in  refrigerating  meats-  24 

Cutting  of  meat _  24 

Rules  for  cutting  nu  at -  26 

Merchandising _  27 

Pricing  policy -  27 

Advertising -  30 

Display _  33 

Salesmanship _  36 

Don’ts  in  display -  37 

Rules  for  successful  selling -  40 

Meeting  competition _  40 

Keeping  records -  .  43 


The  retailing  of  meat  can  be  successfully  carried  on  only  on  the 
basis  of  knowledge  acquired  through  observation  and  study.  Suc¬ 
cess  in  this,  as  in  other  activities  involving  social  contacts,  can  be 
guaranteed  only  if  one’s  knowledge  is  sound  and  if  it  is  acted  upon. 

If  asked  to  indicate  briefly  the  outstanding  characteristics  of  an 
efficient  retail  meat  shop,  a  student  of  the  question  would  have  no 
hesitancy  in  saying:  Careful  and  thoughtful  management  extending 
to  the  selection  of  a  business  location,  to  the  training  of  employees, 
to  purchasing,  to  the  skillful  cutting  of  meat,  and  to  the  careful 
and  continuous  effort  to  satisfy  the  demands  of  consumers. 

The  shops  studied  in  the  investigations  on  which  this  publication 
is  based  were  for  the  most  part  those  the  accounts  of  which  for  more 
than  a  year  were  examined  by  the  Bureau  of  Business  Research, 
Northwestern  University,  and  the  United  States  Department  of 
Agriculture,  Bureau  of  Agricultural  Economics.  On  the  basis  of 
this  study  the  cooperating  agencies  obtained  definite  evidence  which 
pointed  to  relative  success  and  failure,  but  the  study  was  incom¬ 
plete.  It  was  felt  that  there  was  a  need  for  a  careful,  painstaking 
examination  of  the  day-to-day  operations  of  these  stores  to  deter¬ 
mine  why  certain  of  them  succeeded  and  others  failed.  It  was  with 
this  thought  in  mind  that  the  present  study  was  begun  of  the  prac- 

1 


2  Miscellaneous  Circular  5^,  U.  S.  Dept,  of  Agriculture 

tical  operations  of  retail  meat  dealers  in  independent  and  chain- 
store  shops  in  Cleveland,  New  York,  and  Chicago. 

Xone  of  the  dealers  can  be  said  to  be  wholly  inefficient  or  wholly 
efficient.  Both  are  relative  to  the  time,  ]3lace,  type  of  trade,  and 
conditions  of  operation.  Certain  dealers  are  clearly  more  efficient 
than  others,  and  at  certain  times  efficient  dealers  are  grossly  inef¬ 
ficient.  Accordingly,  effort  has  been  made  to  summarize  the  prac¬ 
tices  which  as  a  rule  make  for  efficiency,  and  to  call  attention  to 
those  which  in  the  long  run  prove  to  be  inefficient. 

AVhat  can  retailers,  as  a  class,  do  to  improve  their  conditions? 
It  seems  self-evident  on  the  basis  of  this  and  other  studies  that  they 
must  (1)  have  complete  and  accurate  accounts  of  their  business  op¬ 
erations;  (2)  understand  the  art  of  cutting  and  preparing  meat  for 
the  trade;  (3)  appreciate  the  significance  of  service;  (4)  be  honest 
in  their  day-to-day  dealings  Avith  customers,  employees,  wholesalers, 
and  others  Avith  Avhom  they  deal;  and  (5)  select  a  place  for  business 
in  Avhich,  potentially  at  least,  their  seiwice  is  required. 

HOW  TO  CHOOSE  A  LOCATION 

In  the  retailing  of  meats,  as  in  other  fields  of  retailing,  a  faA’or- 
able  location  is  necessary  for  success.  Dealers  admit  its  importance 
but  fcAv  of  them  giA'e  it  proper  attention  when  beginning  business, 
AA'hen  judging  the  A^alue  of  their  present  locations,  or  Avhen  changing 
to  neAv  quarters.  Locations  are  frequently  chosen  unAvisely,  and  as 
a  result  the  retail  meat  field  at  places  is  OA^ercroAvded.  If  a  dealer 
enters  into  competition  Avith  others  Avho  themselves  are  eking  out  a 
mere  business  existence  he  is  sure  to  fail.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  he 
selects  a  location  Avhere  his  serAuces  are  needed  he  may  reasonably 
expect  to  succeed  if,  and  only  if,  he  continues  to  render  satisfactory 
service.  The  United  States  Department  of  Agriculture  has  esti¬ 
mated  that  for  a  market  to  succeed  it  must  serve  at  least  1,000  people. 
Absolute  safety  requires  a  someAAdiat  larger  population.  The  meat 
department  of  a  combination  store,  hoAveA’er,  may  succeed  with  a 
smaller  population. 

Hoav  can  an  examination  of  the  possibilities  of  a  certain  location — 
“  a  market  analysis,”  as  it  is  called — be  made  ?  IVhat  kinds  of  in¬ 
formation  will  help  a  dealer  to  judge  as  to  the  A’alue  of  a  location 
for  retail  meat  purposes?  Those  Avhich  are  most  important  are  as 
follows:  (1)  the  population  and  its  characteristics,  (2)  the  A’alue, 
kinds,  and  quality  of  meat  consumed,  and  (3)  the  number  of  shops 
serving  the  trade.  Accurate  information  on  all  of  these  topics  is 
difficult  to  obtain,  but  fairly  good  estimates  can  readily  be  made.  Be¬ 
cause  location  has  so  much  to  do  Avith  the  success  and  failure  of  re¬ 
tailers,  the  things  Avhich  will  help  a  dealer  to  choose  a  suitable  place 
for  his  business  are  discussed  in  detail. 

RELATION  TO  VOLUME  OF  BUSINESS 

Xo  dealer  can  succeed  without  a  fair  volume  of  business.  Among 
the  conditions  determining  the  amount  of  business  in  a  locality  are 
the  population  in  the  immediate  vicinity,  outlying  trade  competition, 
population  movements,  class  of  trade,  and  location  within  the  com¬ 
munity  selected. 


3 


Efficient  Methods  of  Retaiting  Meat 


'  The  Populatiox  in  the  Immediate  Vicinity 

The  type  of  dwellings  indicates  roughly  the  density  of  population. 
A  district  consisting  mostly  of  single  residences  can  support  only  a 
limited  number  of  shops.  On  the  other  hand,  several  shops  can 
thrive  in  a  similar  area  filled  with  two  and  three  family  dwellings 
and  apartment  houses. 

Vacant  property  indicates  a  sparse  population.  A  district  in 
which  there  are  many  vacant  lots  may  offer  opportunity  for  future 
trade,  but  is  not  attractive  at  the  moment  unless  building  construc¬ 
tion  is  active.  To  pay  their  current  operating  expenses,  retailers 
must  make  current  sales;  they  can  rarely  speculate  about  future 
profits. 

The  size  of  families  is  also  indicative  of  population  density  and 
consumption  of  meat.  Where  families  are  small  purchases  are  lim¬ 
ited,  restricted  to  few  varieties  of  meats,  and  infrequent,  because 
such  people  often  eat  at  restaurants.  A  satisfactory  estimate  of  the 
sizes  of  families  in  a  given  neighborhood  can  be  ascertained  by  care¬ 
ful  inquiry. 

Outlying  Trade 


If,  in  selecting  a  location,  the  possible  local  trade  seems  inadequate 
for  success,  dealers  should  investigate  the  opportunities  offered  by 
distant  trade.  Information  as  to  the  trading  radius  surrounding  a 
business  site  can  be  obtained  from  local  bankers  and  merchants. 
The  amount  available  depends  upon  the  type  of  district,  kind  of 
street,  and  transportation  facilities. 

A  downtown  business  section  draws  trade  from  a  wide  area  Avithin 
and  beyond  the  city  limits.  But  not  all  of  this  can  be  counted  upon 
for  an  individual  store.  The  population  is  free  to  purchase  from  a 
number  of  stores,  and  only  those  offering  exceptional  attraction  get 
the  lion’s  share. 

An  outlying  shopping  center  draws  trade  from  a  wide  territory, 
but  must  meet  the  competition  from  other  centers.  An  area  of  this 
nature  is  characterized  by  department,  clothing,  and  furniture  stores. 
Such  a  shopping  center  generally  has  ample  transportation  facilities 
to  bring  people  from  various  localities.  Merely  because  it  is  a  center, 
lioweA^er,  does  not  guarantee  that  it  can  support  an  additional  busi¬ 
ness. 

Outlying  business  districts  of  the  ordinary  type  draAV  trade  from 
a  limited  area.  As  soon  as  population  congregates  in  a  given  district, 
shops  are  immediately  opened  to  satisfy  demands  for  service.  The 
stores  are  generally  small  or  medium  sized,  the  trade  is  local,  and  the 
population  capable  of  supporting  only  a  relatiA^ely  few  meat  markets. 

Industrial  districts  containing  factories  and  warehouses  offer 
limited  opportunities  for  trade.  The  extent  to  Avhich  employees 
shop  on  their  way  to  and  from  home  is  not  ahvays  certain,  but  may 
be  determined.  The  number  of  possible  customers  is  generally  very 
small.  Moreover,  merchants  should  consider  the  employment  con¬ 
ditions  in  such  districts  and  find  out  Avhether  they  are  irregular 
or  seasonal.  Some  trade  may  be  obtained  from  restaurants,  but  too 
great  hope  ought  not  to  be  })laced  in  such  a  source.  It  is  not 
always  necessary  to  locate  in  an  industrial  district  itself  in  order  to 
serve  this  trade.  A  near-by  location  may  make  it  possible  to  obtain 
both  familv  and  restaurant  trade. 


4  Miscellaneous  Circular  5^,  U.  S.  Dept,  of  Agriculture 


A  residential  section  with  side-street  stores  has  a  limited  trading 
radius.  A  new  store  building  erected  in  such  a  location  is  no  indi¬ 
cation  of  the  need  for  or  success  of  another  meat  shop.  One  of 
the  dealers  whose  experience  was  investigated  thought  so,  but  was 
sorely  disappointed  after  the  shop  w^as  opened. 

In  most  business  districts  one  or  two  streets  make  up  the  main 
avenues  of  trade.  Stores  located  on  such  streets  get  more  business 
and  draw  trade  from,  a  wider  radius  than  stores  on  other  streets. 
This  fact  should  not  be  forgotten. 

Good  transportation  may  mean  a  wide  trading  radius.  In  ap¬ 
praising  the  opportunities  which  it  offers  it  is  necessary,  hoAvever, 
to  consider  the  number  and  type  of  lines,  quality  of  service,  and 
the  districts  into  and  through  which  they  extend.  Elevated  and  sub¬ 
way  lines  bring  purchasers  from  distant  areas.  Good  transfer 
points  on  surface  lines  may  produce  volume  for  a  dealer,  if  a  location 
is  selected  which  is  not  too  far  from  the  car  stops  or  transfer  posi¬ 
tions.  It  is  essential,  before  purchasing  a  shop,  to  know  if  any 
recent  changes  in  car  routing  have  been  made  or  if  any  changes 
are  impending  for  the  immediate  future.  Shops  may  be  put  on  the 
market  because  of  advance  information  on  these  points. 

If  a  dealer  is  counting  on  obtaining  automobile  trade,  parking 
facilities  should  be  determined.  Are  they  adequate?  Are  they 
free?  Are  thev  near  the  location  which  is  being  considered? 

A  new  community  needs  adequate  transportation  facilities  for 
rapid  development.  If  plans  for  supplying  them  are  indefinite  and 
doubtful,  a  location,  although  valuable  for  future  trade,  may  for 
the  time  being  be  worth  very  little. 

Competition 


The  number  of  meat  shops  located  in  a  particular  trading  area 
can  be  counted  quickly.  Are  there  too  many,  or  is  there  “  always 
room  for  one  more  ?  ”  A  rough  indication  of  the  nature  of  the  area 
from  a  trading  point  of  view  is  the  size  of  existing  stores.  If  they 
are  mostly  one  and  two  man  shops,  the  chances  are  that  the  competi¬ 
tion  is  already  severe.  A  merchant  when  observing  those  condi¬ 
tions  should  hesitate  before  he  locates  in  such  a  district. 

The  efficiency  of  shops  in  a  possible  trading  district  should  be  ex¬ 
amined  before  a  location  is  selected.  If  they  appear  to  be  sufficient 
in  number  and  to  serve  the  trade  well  as  to  price,  quality,  and  service, 
this  area  should  be  considered  as  closed  so  far  as  a  place  of  business 
is  concerned.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  present  dealers  are  charging 
jirices  that  are  too  high  (quality  considered),  if  the  quality  handled 
is  not  suited  to  the  demands  of  all  or  part  of  the  trade,  if  courtesy 
and  promptness  in  serving  customers  are  not  what  they  should  be,  or 
if  there  is  need  for  a  cash-and-carry  or  a  credit-and-delivery  market, 
tliere  may  be  room  for  another  shop. 

PoPur.ATiON  Movements 


The  growth  or  decline  of  jiopulation  should  be  considered.  If 
population  is  increasing  rapidly  a  dealer  may  expect  to  share  in 
ihe  added  business.  If  it  is  declining  he  can  not  always  hope  to  re¬ 
tain  his  volume  while  that  of  others  is  shrinking.  If  a  store  is  for 


Efficient  Methods  of  Retailing  Meat 


5 


sale  and  its  purchase  seems  desirable,  merchants  should  not  act 
without  considering  the  possibilities  of  the  future.  Moreover,  the 
changing  character  of  the  population  must  be  studied.  The  influx 
of  undesirable  elements  may  spoil  business  prospects. 

Class  of  Trade 

The  class  of  trade  to  be  served  is  always  important  when  consider¬ 
ing  a  possible  location.  It  may  be  of  a  different  type  from  that  to 
which  a  dealer  is  accustomed.  Merchants  as  a  rule  can  not  serve 
distinctly  different  classes  of  trade  successfully.  Different  methods 
of  merchandising  are  required  for  neighborhood  and  transient  trade. 
A  dealer  located  on  a  shopping  street  may  fail  because  he  attaches 
too  little  significance  to  organization  for  such  factors  as  rapid  serv¬ 
ice  and  displays. 

Home  owners  and  tenants  of  large  apartments  generally  purchase 
meats  in  considerable  quantity  and  of  wide  variety.  Tenants  of 
small  apartments  and  light-housekeeping  suites  purchase  small  quan¬ 
tities  and  limited  varieties  (usually  steaks  and  chops).  Such  fam¬ 
ilies  often  have  no  children,  and  take  many  of  their  meals  in  res¬ 
taurants.  That  such  people  do  not  keep  house  does  not  indicate  that 
meat  consumption  is  curtailed.  It  only  means  that  they  do  not  pur¬ 
chase  from  retail  shops.  If  trade  is  going  to  restaurants,  then  mer¬ 
chants  must  consider  the  possibility  of  serving  this  type  of  consumer. 

Occupations  and  financial  status  of  consumers  should  be  considered. 
Working-class  people  buy  large  quantities  and  many  varieties  of 
meat  products.  Office  workers,  on  the  other  hand,  consume  rela¬ 
tively  small  quantities  and  few  varieties.  Business  and  professional 
classes  are  often  free  spenders  and  consume  high-grade  meats,  but 
they  demand  service.  This  generally  involves  credit  and  delivery. 
The  purchases  of  the  well-to-do  classes  are  often  seasonal.  Most  of 
the  summer  and  part  of  the  winter  they  may  be  away.  If  so,  it  will 
be  difficult  to  obtain  a  satisfactory  average  volume  for  the  year. 

The  nationality  of  possible  consumers  should  be  studied  when  con¬ 
sidering  a  business  location.  Foreigners  as  a  rule  consume  larger 
(juantities  and  more  varieties  of  meats  than  do  Americans.  This  is 
particularly  true  of  Germans,  Poles,  Hungarians,  Bohemians,  and 
related  peoples.  Their  families  are  larger  and  not  so  accustomed 
as  Americans  to  patronizing  restaurants  and  hotels.  The  religion 
of  consumers,  too,  may  influence  their  purchases.  Catholic  communi¬ 
ties,  for  instance,  may  abstain  from  eating  meat  on  Fridays  and 
fast  days. 

Location  Within  the  Community  Selected 

A  merchant,  having  satisfied  himself  that  he  wishes  to  locate  in 
a  community,  must  choose^ a  particular  place.  If  two  or  more  loca¬ 
tions  are  available,  they  are  probably  not  equally  desirable.  In 
choosing  between  them  it  is  advisable  to  consider  the  side  of  the 
street  best  suited  to  his  needs.  On  one  side  trading  may  be  active, 
on  the  other  little  business  may  be  done.  The  shadier  side  is  de¬ 
sirable  if  dealers  depend  to  any  extent  upon  window  displays  for 
attracting  trade.  Moreover,  a  street  may  form  a  dividing  line  of 
trade.  Heavy  traffic  may  make  it  difficult  or  hazardous  to  cross. 
The  class  of  trade,  nationality,  etc.,  may  be  different  for  the  two 


0  Miscellaneous  Circular  54^,  U.  S.  Dept,  of  Agriculture 

sides.  These  conditions  have  an  imj^ortant  bearing  upon  the  chances 
for  success  or  failure  of  the  prospective  shop. 

A  location  close  to  grocery,  vegetable  and  fruit,  and  bakery  stores 
is  preferable ‘to  one  removed.  A  number  of  stores  serving  these 
different  demands  form  a  splendid  business-getting  combination, 
provided  there  is  the  proper  spirit  of  cooperation  between  them. 
Locations  near  theaters  are  not  generally  desirable,  because  people 
on  their  Avay  to  and  from  places  of  amusement  do  not  as  a  rule  care 
to  shop.  In  some  cases,  however,  other  considerations  outweigh  this 
disadvantage. 

RENT  OF  THE  STORE 

The  rent  Avhich  a  merchant  can  afford  to  pay  for  a  location  de¬ 
pends  upon  the  amount  of  his  sales.  When  told  the  rental  required, 
he  should  estimate  its  reasonableness  in  terms  of  his  actual  or  prob¬ 
able  volume.  Kents  are  high  or  low  not  in  terms  of  dollars  per 
square  foot  but  in  terms  of  their  relation  to  sales.  The  Bureau  of 
Business  Kesearch,  hTortliAvestern  University,  found  that  rents  for 
retail  meat  shops  averaged  2  to  21/2  per  cent  of  sales  in  CleA- eland, 
Chicago,  and  NeAv  York.  If  a  dealer  is  asked  a  rental  of  $100  a 
month,  this  means  that  he  should  do  a  business  of  $4,000  to  $5,000 
per  month  in  order  to  operate  at  the  aA'erage  rate.  A  volume 
.smaller  than  this  amount  makes  his  rent  above  the  average,  a  Amlume 
larger  makes  his  rent  loAA^er  than  the  aA^erage.  In  this  study  many 
stores  Avere  found  Avhich  Avere  paying  from  5  to  10  per  cent  of  their 
sales  for  rent.  The  proprietors  either  lost  money  or  receiA^ed  little 
more  than  a  common-labor  Avage  for  their  services. 

A  dealer  should  find  out  Avhat  the  preA^ailing  rents  are  for  stores 
similar  to  the  one  he  is  considering.  He  Avill  then  be  in  a  better  posi¬ 
tion  to  bargain  with  the  landlord  or  Avith  other  dealers  for  the  posi¬ 
tions  Avhich  they  occupy. 

The  suitability  of  the  building  and  the  size  of  the  store  haA^e  an  im¬ 
portant  bearing  upon  a  dealer’s  chance  for  success.  It  is  unwise  to 
attempt  to  do  business  in  cramped  quarters.  It  is  equally  unwise  to 
.select  a  store  AAdiich  is  too  large  and  inAmlves  extra  fixture  iuA^estment, 
unused  s])ace  for  which  rent  is  paid,  and  lost  time  in  waiting  on 
trade.  If  expanding  business  is  confidently  expected,  large  quarters 
may  be  chosen ;  but  the  distant  future  should  not  be  given  too  much 
consideration. 

The  appearance  of  the  building  occupied  affects  trade.  An  ugly 
and  dilapidated  building  is  a  poor  draAving  card;  one  that  is  attrac¬ 
tive  in  Antes  customers. 

The  construction  of  the  building  is  important  because  it  affects 
refrigeration.  The  type  of  construction,  as  Avell  as  the  condition  of 
ceiling  and  floor,  may  make  proper  refrigeration  difficult  and  costly. 

It  is  desirable  that  rented  buildings  should  be  occupied  under  a 
lease.  The  term  should  be  comparatiATl}^  short.  Kents  rise  and  fall 
as  do  the  ])rices  of  other  things,  and  merchants  should  be  in  a  posi¬ 
tion  to  take  advantage  of  such  shifts.  A  period  of  fiA^e  years  is  pre¬ 
ferred  by  most  successful  mei-chants.  A  lease  should  be  definite  I'e- 
specting  the  matter  of  re])airs,  cleaning,  etc.  If  the  landlord  is  to 
bear  the.se  expenses,  the  lease  should  so  s]Aecify;  if  the  tenant  is  to 
assume  the  costs,  he  Avill  Avant  to  knoAv  it  at  the  time  tlie  lease  is 
taken.  Provisions  respecting  subletting  a  part  of  tlie  store  should 


Efficient  Methods  of  Retailing  Meat 


7 


be  unmistakable.  Experience  shows  that  such  a  use  of  vacant  space 
is  desirable.  Dealers  are  frequently  able  to  reduce  their  rent  expense 
in  this  way.  A  joint  tenancy  with  a  dealer  in  fruit  and  vegetables  is 
often  advantageous. 

FOUR  DON’TS  IN  CHOOSING  A  LOCATION 

1.  Don’t  choose  a  location  without  a  study  of  its  business  possi¬ 
bilities. 

2.  Don’t  choose  a  neighborhood  merely  because  it  already  contains 
many  apparently  successful  shops.  Appearances  may  be  deceptive. 

3.  Don’t  neglect  to  study  existing  competitive  conditions.  It  is  far 
better  to  reckon  with  competitors  before  than  after  going  into 
business. 

4.  Don’t  hesitate  to  change  your  location  if  the  neighborhood  has 
deteriorated.  It  is  better  to  move  early  than  to  be  forced  out  by 
failure  in  the  end. 


RELATION  OF  STORE  TO  SUCCESSFUL  BUSINESS 


FIXTURES  AND  EQUIPMENT 


The  fixtures  and  equipment  in  a  retail  meat  store  should  be  sim¬ 
ple  and  serviceable.  A  large  investment  in  elaborate  fixtures  is  un¬ 
necessary  'and  expensive.  Fixtures  depreciate  rapidly,  and  the  in¬ 
terest  on  the  investment  constitutes  a  carrying  charge.  The  public 
likes  to  patronize  a  well-equipped  shop,  but  is  chefly  concerned  with 
the  quality  and  service  received  for  the  prices  paid. 

In  selecting  fixtures  the  following,  among  other  things,  should 
be  considered:  (1)  Wearing  qualities;  (2)  suitability  to  the  particu¬ 
lar  need  in  question;  (3)  appearance;  and  (4)  the  cost  of  installation. 

A  retail  shop  should  be  equipped  for  efficient  operation.  Such  ma¬ 
chines  as  meat  slicers,  cash  registers,  and  computing  scales  usually 
contribute  toward  efficient  operation,  but  it  is  unwise  to  purchase 
too  expensive  machines  or  those  which  are  unsuited  to  particular 
needs.  There  is  always  a  temptation  for  meat  dealers  to  purchase 
new  devices  as  they  appear  and  to  scrap  those  in  use. 

The  effectiveness  of  fixtures  is  increased  by  their  proper  care.  Re¬ 
pairs  should  be  made  when  necessary,  to  save  greater  later  expense. 
To  allow  fixtures  and  equipment  to  deteriorate  because  of  lack  of 
repairs  shortens  their  life. 


Fixtures  and  Equipment  Needed  for  Two-Man  Shop 


Ei^jht  by  ten  foot  ice  box  (properly 
insulated). 

Complete  set  of  tools  for  each  clerk. 
Three  or  four  blocks. 

One  or  two  computing  scales. 
Platform  scale. 

Ten  to  fifteen  feet  of  counter  space. 


Cash  register  (inexpensive). 

Meat  chopper. 

Meat  slicer  (unless  small  (piaiitities  of 
cooked  meats,  sliced  bacon,  etc.,  are 
sold ) . 

Work  benches,  tables,  shelves,  etc. 


LAYOUT  OF  FIXTURES,  EQUIPMENT,  AND  MERCHANDISE 

When  a  store  is  rented  and  space  acipiired,  the  fixtures  and  eijiiip- 
ment  should  be  so  arranged  as  to  obtain  the  maximum  working 


62654°— 25^ 


g  Miscellaneous  Circular  5^,  U.  S.  Dept,  of  Agriculture 

eiiiciency.  A  pleasing  appearance  and  a  good  display  effect,  although 
important,  are  secondary.  An  efficient  layout  often  results  in  reduc¬ 
ing  lost  motion  to  a  minimum  and  in  making  it  possible  to  operate 
with  less  help.  ’  This  is  an  important  consideration,  because  the  wage 
bill  is  by  far  the  most  important  expense  the  merchant  has  to  bear. 

For  stores  with  small  volume,  the  space  in  front  of  the  ice  box 
need  not  be  larger  than  the  rear  space.  The  front  should  not  be 
larger  than  necessary  to  afford  adequate  counter  facilities,  free 
movement  of  clerks,  and  ample  space  for  customers.  A  large  front 
section  occasions  needless  steps  and  makes  it  difficult  to  take  care  of 
customers  during  rush  periods.  The  rear  section  should  be  large 
enough  to  permit  efficient  operation  and  to  provide  storage  space  for 
such  things  as  supplies,  equipment,  and  waste  paper.  Inasmuch 
as  merchants  are  coming  more  and  more  to  cut  their  meat  in  ad¬ 
vance,  adequate  space  in  the  rear  room  must  be  provided  for  this 
purpose. 

A  convenient  arrangement  of  the  counters  is  important.  They 
should  be  arranged  so  that  they  can  be  seen  from  the  door,  if  the 
entrance  is  at  the  side.  An  arrangement  like  that  shown  i:i 
Figure  1  A  is  good;  that  in  Figure  1  B  is  bad.  AYhen  the  entrance 
is  in  the  center,  the  counters  may  be  arranged  on  either  side. 

The  ice  box  should  be  so  placed  that  the  door  is  convenient  to  the 
clerks,  and  on  the  side  that  will  make  it  unnecessary  for  them  to 
cross  each  others’  paths  in  going  to  and  from  the  box.  In  Fig¬ 
ure  1  C  the  arrangement  is  shown  as  it  should  be;  in  Figure  1  D,  as 
it  ought  not  to  be. 

There  are  several  different  ways  of  placing  the  counters  in  a  store, 
the  arrangement  in  Figure  1  E  being  known  as  the  L  shape.  This 
is  rather  unsatisfactory,  because  clerks  waste  considerable  time 
going  around  them  when  waiting  on  trade.  But  if  a  store  is  narrow 
and  much  counter  space  is  needed  the  L-shaped  arrangement  may  be 
necessary. 

The  method  of  placing  the  counters  shown  in  Figure  1  F  is 
more  satisfactory,  because  the  clerks  work  on  the  inside  of  the  in¬ 
closed  area  and  have  their  equipment  within  easy  reach.  So  far 
as  display  effect  is  concerned,  however,  the  arrangement  in  Figure 
1  F  is  not  so  satisfactory  as  that  in  Figure  1  E. 

Such  an  arrangement  as  that  shown  in  Figure  1  G  makes  for  greater 
efficiency  in  serving  customers  than  that  shown  in  Figure  1  H,  and 
can  be  used  in  the  same  width  of  store. 

In  laying  out  counters  in  keeping  with  the  positions  shown  in 
Figures  1  B  and  1  E  merchants  should  be  careful  to  provide  for 
adequate  space  between  the  ice  box  and  the  counter  parallel  to  the 
box.  If  this  is  not  done  working  space  will  be  cramped  and  service 
retarded. 

Scales,  blocks,  wrapping  ^^aper,  and  the  cash  register  should  be 
placed  conveniently  because  they  are  used  together.  One  dealer 
whose  store  was  inspected  had  them  placed  as  shown  in  Figure  1 1, 
^lost  of  the  work  was  performed  at  the  counter  near  the  ice  box,  and 
the  register  and  paper  were  placed  on  the  other  side. 

Scales  should  be  located  so  that  customers  may  see  the  dials.  A 
convenient  position  for  them  is  on  the  counter  or  counters  where 
the  main  service  is  rendered. 


Efficient  Methods  of  Retaiting  Meat 


9 


Counters 


B 


XCounters 


¥( 


Office 


J 


F|g.  1, — Several  plans  for  the  arrangement  of  counters,  ice  box,  ^tQ, 


10  Miscellaneous  Circular  ok,  U.  S.  Dept,  of  Agriculture 


The  cashier’s  office  should  be  so  located  as  to  command  a  good 
view  of  the  store  and  of  customers  as  they  come  in  and  go  out.  The 
best  place  is  opposite  the  corner  of  the  counter,  as  shown  in  Figure 

1  J.  If  possible,  the 


WORK 

BENCH 


STAIRCASE 

• 

SINK 

LAVATORY 

r'*  — 

ICE  MACHINE 

k- 


office: 


SAFE 


jv^NDOiil 


/ 


ICE  BOX 
Q’x/0' 


telephone 


ADDING 
MACHI  NE 


o 


KRAUT 

BARREL 


a 


MEAT 

CHOPPER 


BLOCK 


BLOCK 


[I^ 


LARGE 

BLOCK 


CASH  REGISTER 


MEAT 

SLICER 


SCALE 


WRAPPING 
PAPER  ROLL 


TABLE 


k 

U. 

«0 


<0 


k 

u. 

o 


! 


\ 


SCALE 


WRAPPING  COUNTER 


16  FT.  REFRIGERATED  COUNTER 


k 

k 


DISPLAY  SHELF 
(BOTTLED  GOODS) 


SPACE  FOR  CUSTOMERS 


k 

k 

o> 


office  should  be  on 
the  same  side  as  the 
door.  This  makes  it 
easy  for  the  cashier 

x, 

to  guard  against  cus¬ 
tomers  leaving  the 
store  without  paying 
for  their  purchases. 

The  meat  grinder 
should  be  conveni¬ 
ently  located  and  in 
full  view  of  the  trade. 
It  should  not  be  hid¬ 
den  from  customers, 
because  if  it  is  they 
may  suspect  the  mer¬ 
chant  of  substituting 
other  meat  for  that 
which  was  ordered. 
The  confidence  of  cus¬ 
tomers  is  one  of  the 
greatest  assets  of  a 
merchant,  and  noth¬ 
ing  should  be  done 
to  destroy  it. 

The  layout  of  the 
fixtures  and  equip¬ 
ment  as  shown  in 
Figure  2  is  excellent. 
The  clerks  work  effi¬ 
ciently,  because  every¬ 
thing  is  placed  within 
easy  reach  and  no  un- 

X/ 

necessary^  steps  are  re¬ 
quired.  The  arrange¬ 
ment  is  comparatively 
new.  Before  the 
change  was  made  the 
front  of  the  store  was 
much  larger,  the  ice 
box  then  being  placed 
at  the  rear  line  of  the 
box,  as  indicated  in 
the  illustration.  The 
proprietor  finds  the 
new  arrangement  much  more  serviceable,  because  formerly  much 
time  was  wasted  in  going  to  and  from  the  cooler.  Although 
the  counter  is  much  nearer  the  front  than  formerly,  there  is  still 
ample  room  for  trade.  This  merchant  does  a  business  of  $1,200 


SHOW  WINDOW 


T  TT 

k 
k 


t: 

L 


Fig.  2. — Floor  plan  of  a  well-arranged  shop 


Efficient  Methods  of  Retailing  Meat 


11 


per  week  with  the  help  of  one  experienced  clerk  and  a  delivery  boy. 
Two-thirds  of  his  trade  is  cash-and-carry.  Much  of  his  success  he 
attributes  to  his  layout. 

Items  that  need  cutting  and  trimming,  and  those  brought  in  and 
out  of  the  cooler,  should  be  placed  on  the  counter  nearest  to  the 
ice  box  and  blocks.  Cut  meats,  sausage,  cooked  meats,  etc.,  can  be 
laid  out  on  the  other  counter  or  counters.  IVIeats  that  sell  in  large 
quantities  and  move  rapidly  should  be  conveniently  located.  As  a 
rule  they  should  be  placed  near  the  scales  and  in  the  direct  line  of 
the  clerks’  major  activity. 

Although  the  number  of  items  sold  by  retail  meat  dealers  is  com¬ 
paratively  few — much  fewer  than  in  many  other  types  of  retail 
trade — it  is  desirable  that  each  type  of  meat  should  be  kept  in  a  cus¬ 
tomary  place.  If  this  is  done  clerks  can  locate  the  merchandise 
quickly.  Customers  will  come  to  appreciate  such  an  arrangement, 
because  they  will  know  where  to  look  for  the  types  of  meat  they  de¬ 
sire.  Such  an  arrangement  makes  for  order  and  avoids  the  practice, 
too  often  indulged  in  by  merchants,  of  piling  meats  carelessly  and 
haphazardly  on  blocks  and  counters,  which  not  only  gives  a  bad 
appearance  but  makes  it  difficult  for  clerks  quickly  to  find  the  piece 
of  meat  desired. 

The  ice  box  should  be  arranged  so  that  each  kind  of  meat — lamb, 
veal,  pork,  and  beef — has  its  own  particular  section.  AYhen  the 
volume  is  large  such  an  arrangement  can  be  carried  out  in  greater 
detail  if  separate  departments  of  the  ice  box  are  assigned  to  beef 
ribs,  beef  rounds,  pork  loins,  fresh  hams,  etc.  Under  such  conditions 
overbuying  will  not  be  indulged  in  and  time  will  not  be  lost  in 
searching  about  for  the  articles  wanted. 

As  new  purchases  are  added  to  the  stocks  of  meat  on  hand  many 
dealers  follow  the  practice  of  hanging  them  in  the  rear,  back  of  the 
old  stock.  With  this  arrangement  the  old  stock  is  moved  first,  the 
clerks  knowing  the  order  in  which  pieces  should  be  taken  out.  Such 
an  arrangement  tends  to  keep  the  stock  fresh  and  reduces  trimming 
to  a  minimum. 

An  orderly  arrangement  of  meats  in  the  cooler  saves  space.  For 
the  same  reason  meats  should  be  hung  on  the  edge  rather  than 
on  the  side.  In  hanging  sides  of  veal  some  dealers  separate  right 
from  left  sides,  place  old  stock  in  the  center  and  new  stock  on  the 
right  and  left  ends. 

SANITATION 

With  modern  demands  of  consumers,  city  inspection,  and  the  in¬ 
sistence  upon  service,  sanitation  in  retail  meat  markets  requires  the 
attention  of  every  progressive  merchant.  There  are  customers  who 
consider  sanitary  conditions  in  and  about  a  shop  fully  as  important  or 
more  so  than  the  price  they  pay  for  meat.  Frequent  cleaning  is 
necessary  if  a  market  is  to  be  sanitary.  This  applies  to  equipment, 
tools,  and  fixtures,  as.  well  as  to  the  permanent  parts  of  the  shop  itself. 

The  floors  should  be  frequently  swept  and  sawdust  changed  at 
least  every  two  days.  If  this  is  done  it  prevents  the  accumulation 
of  bone  dust,  meat  scraps,  etc.,  Avhich  decay  quickly  and  cause 
obnoxious  odors.  If  paper  and  boxes  are  allowed  to  accumulate  back 
of  the  counters  they  ]:)resent  a  very  untidy  a})pearance  and  make 
it  impossible  to  give  proper  attention  to  the  floors. 


12  Miscellaneous  Circular  54,  U.  S.  Dept,  of  Agriculture 

To  keep  the  ice  box,  including  rails,  hooks,  walls,  and  floors, 
clean  requires  constant  attention.  Washing  and  scalding  meat  hooks 
add  to  their  life  and  make  frequent  retinning  unnecessary.  Tainted 
meats  should  not  be  allowed  to  remain  in  the  cooler.  If  they  are, 
fresh  meats  will  be  affected.  Some  one  in  the  shop  should  be  made 
responsible  for  seeing  that  the  condition  of  the  ice  box  is  satis¬ 
factory.  This  should  be  a  regular  part  of  his  activity,  and  should 
be  closely  watched  by  the  proprietor  himself. 

The  bottoms  of  counters  should  be  kept  free  from  waste  paper 
and  rubbish.  Small  particles  of  meat  accumulating  inside  the 
counter  should  be  removed. 

Blocks  should  be  scraped  frequently  during  the  day.  In  hot 
weather  they  should  be  kept  as  free  of  meat  as  possible.  Care  in  this 
respect  is  important.  During  the  summer  months  some  dealers  keep 
their  blocks  sweet  and  clean  by  sprinkling  them  with  baking  soda,  or 
salt,  and  cleaning  this  off  each  morning  before  opening  for  business. 

The  rear  room  of  the  store,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  many  dealers 
seem  to  think  otherwise,  is  an  important  part  of  the  market.  In¬ 
efficient,  slovenly  merchants  ignore  this  fact ;  successful  ones  give  it 
proper  attention.  To  allow  rubbish  to  accumulate,  to  neglect  to 
wash  cooking  utensils  and  dinner  dishes,  and  to  let  offal  and  feathers 
from  chickens  accumulate  are  bad  practices.  Even  though  the 
front  of  the  store  is  kept  sanitary,  flies  will  swarm  into  the  shop 
if  the  rear  room  is  insanitary.  A  disorderly  and  unclean  rear  room 
prevents  workmen  from  efficiently  carrying  on  work  which  must  be 
performed  there.  The  question  which  each  merchant  must  ask  him¬ 
self  is,  “What  would  my  customers  say  if  they  saw  this  rear  room?” 

The  walls  of  the  shop  should  be  kept  clean.  To  enamel  them  in 
white  is  inexpensive  and  permits  easy  and  quick  cleaning. 

The  habits  of  clerks  in  retail  meat  shops  have  a  direct  bearing  on 
successful  merchandising.  They  should  not  be  permitted  to  smoke 
in  the  presence  of  customers.  Tobacco  chewing  and  expectorating 
are  habits  Avhich  no  proprietor  should  tolerate.  Aprons  and  frocks 
should  be  changed  frequently.  To  save  on  laundry  bills  by  using 
dirty  linen  is  false  economy.  Shop  clothes  should  be  neat,  and  it 
goes  without  saying  that  the  hands  of  the  clerks  should  be  clean. 
Twine  chewing  is  a  habit  difficult  to  break,  but  it  is  distasteful  to 
most  customers  and  should  be  prevented  if  possible. 

The  killing  and  dressing  of  j^oultry  ought  to  be  carried  on  in  out¬ 
side  buildings  or  in  basements  if  outside  buildings  are  not  available. 
Coo2)s  should  not  be  allowed  on  the  sidewalk.  Many  dealers  have 
ceased  to  dress  poultry,  maintaining  that  they  can  buy  dressed 
poultry  as  cheaply  as  live  poultry  if  proper  allowance  is  made  for 
the  time  taken  in  killing,  cost  of  feeding,  shrinkage,  and  deaths  of 
birds.  The  claim  is  made,  probably  with  truth,  that  poultry-dress¬ 
ing  firms  have  superior  methods  of  chilling  poultry  and  of  pre¬ 
serving  it. 

Meat  shops  should  be  well  ventilated.  Doors  and  windows  should 
be  kept  open  as  much  as  ]:)ossible,  and  if  necessary  fans  should  be 
used  to  assure  proper  ventilation. 

Cats,  if  necessary  to  rid  a  shop  of  rats  and  mice,  should  be  kept 
out  of  sight.  It  is  distasteful  to  many  customers  to  see  a  cat 
wandering  about  a  meat  store. 


Efficient  Methods  of  Retailing  Meat 


13 


Proper  screening  of  doors  and  windows,  cleanliness,  and  the  elimi¬ 
nation  of  odors  are  the  most  effective  methods  against  flies.  The 
l^ractice  of  spreading  fly  powder  and  paper  about  the  shop  is  help¬ 
ful,  but  inadequate. 

Meats  can  best  be  protected  from  dust  by  using  glass  guards  on  the 
counters  or  inclosed  counters.  These  will  prevent  customers  from 
handling  meats,  a  practice  which  should  never  be  allowed. 

LIGHTING 

A  necessary  condition  for  the  successful  operation  of  a  retail  meat 
shop  is  proper  lighting.  It  is  conducive  to  efficiency,  reduces  the 
number  of  mistakes  in  weighing,  cutting,  and  pricing  meat,  and 
generally  makes  for  the  health  of  all  concerned.  Moreover,  a  well- 
lighted  shop  attracts  trade. 

The  expense  of  lighting  is  relatively  small — 0.25  per  cent  of 
sales,  as  shown  by  the  study  of  the  Bureau  of  Business  Research, 
Northwestern  University.  In  spite  of  this  fact  some  dealers  pay 
more  attention  to  reducing  their  light  bills  than  to  keeping  their 
Avage  expense  Avithin  proper  limits. 

If  a  store  is  well  lighted  all  parts  are  diffused  Avith  light.  Even 
illumination  may  be  obtained  by  the  use  of  diffusing  types  of  shades 
and  globes.  These  spread  light  uniformly  in  all  directions.  Shades 
Avhich  reflect  light  downAvard  make  the  upper  part  of  a  store  dark. 
This  gives  a  shop  a  gloomy  appearance  from  the  outside,  is  hard  on 
the  eyes  of  the  workmen,  and  makes  for  inefficiency.  To  get  the 
best  effects  from  artificial  lighting  the  walls  and  ceilings  should  be 
light-colored.  Dark  tints  cause  glaring  contrasts  and  are  not  nearly 
so  pleasing  as  white  enamel. 

The  parts  of  the  store  that  demand  the  most  careful  attention,  so 
far  as  lighting  is  concerned,  are  the  scales  and  the  counters.  If 
clerks  have  difficulty  in  reading  the  scale  costly  mistakes  are  likely. 
Lights  should  be  so  placed  that  the  rays  fall  directly  on  the  scale 
dial.  It  is  a  common  practice  for  dealers  to  use  scales  containing 
individual  lights.  These  are  very  satisfactory. 

Counters  should  be  well  lighted  to  display  their  contents  ad¬ 
vantageously.  Meats  under  good  lights  ahvays  appear  at  their  best. 
If  droplights  are  used  they  should  be  placed  so  that  shadows  will  not 
appear  inside  the  counters.  Good  illumination  is  obtained  by  lights 
j)laced  inside  counters,  but  the  results  are  bad  because  they  quickly 
dry  out  cut  meats  and  raise  the  temperature  seA^eral  degrees. 

Artificial  light  is  a  poor  substitute  for  the  sun.  When  it  is  neces¬ 
sary  to  use  artificial  lights  in  windoAvs  those  types  should  be  se¬ 
lected  which  best  display  the  products.  For  this  purpose  reflector 
liglits  generally  prove  most  satisfactory.  If  they  are  placed  in  the 
upper  front  of  the  windoAv  they  light  up  the  display  and  at  the  same 
time  do  not  cause  a  glare  in  the  eyes  of  passers-by. 

RULES  FOR  LIGHTING  A  SHOP 

1.  Lights  should  shine  on  the  objects  and  not  in  the  eyes  of  clerks. 

2.  Diffusing  glass  globes,  reflectors,  or  shades  should  be  used. 

3.  Reflection  from  polished  surfaces  should  be  avoided. 

4.  Excessive  as  Avell  as  inadequate  illumination  strains  and 
fatigues  the  eyes. 


14  Miscellaneous  Circular  54,  U.  S.  Dept,  of  Agriculture 

5.  Dark  walls  and  ceilings  should  be  avoided. 

G.  Light  from  windows  should  be  utilized  to  the  fullest  extent. 

7.  Unsteady  and  flickering  lights  should  not  be  used. 

PERSONNEL  AND  MANAGEMENT 

The  secret  of  business  success  lies  in  efficient  management.  The 
personnel  of  the  shop  is  also  imj^ortant. 

THE  PROPRIETOR 

An  efficient  proprietor  of  a  store  is  a  student  of  his  business.  He 
reads  the  journals  and  other  literature  on  his  trade.  He  does  not 
hesitate  to  change  his  ways  when  improvements  are  suggested.  He 
tries  out  new  ideas;  he  is  progressive.  He  makes  frequent  tests  on 
different  kinds  of  meats  handled;  he  knows  the  cost  of  his  merchan¬ 
dise  and  the  margins  at  which  it  can  be  sold  profitably ;  he  visits 
other  stores  and  studies  their  methods  Avith  the  hope  of  obtaining 
A^aluable  suggestions;  he  adopts  a  professional  attitude  toAvard  his 
business,  and  aims  to  become  a  real  merchant  rather  than  a  mere 
butcher. 

A  meat  retailer  Avho  Avishes  to  be  successful  Avill  maintain  a  cheer¬ 
ful  attitude  toAvard  his  trade  and  clerks  and  control  his  temper.  He 
belieA^es  in  and  acts  upon  the  principle  that  “Honesty  is  the  best 
policy.”  If  a  business  is  Avorth  conducting  it  should  be  given  atten¬ 
tion.  To  do  other Avise  is  costly  in  the  end,  although  it  may  not  ap¬ 
pear  to  be  from  day  to  day.  Close  attention  to  the  daily  run  of  busi¬ 
ness  problems  is  impossible  if  time  is  frittered  aAvay  through  aimless 
actiAuties,  pleasing  in  themselves,  but  not  conducive  to  success.  Com¬ 
petition  requires  that  dealers  be  on  the  lookout  for  positions  and 
methods  of  advantage.  If  a  merchant  disregards  this  self-eAudent 
fact,  his  competitor  may  not.  The  results  Avill  soon  be  apparent; 

Some  of  the  practices  that  the  merchant  should  not  indulge  in  are 
the  folloAving:  (1)  GiAung  business  problems  only  occasional  atten¬ 
tion;  (2)  arriving  at  business  late  in  the  mornings,  thus  setting  a 
bad  example  for  clerks;  (3)  absenting  himself  from  the  shop  during 
the  day  for  long  periods  of  time;  (4)  spending  more  time  at  the 
Avholesale  markets  Avhen  buying  than  is  necessary;  (5)  performing 
day-to-day  tasks  Avithout  a  plan  of  the  details  and  an  appreciation 
of  their  relative  importance  in  the  job  of  a  manager. 

Most  businesses  Avhen  begun  are  small.  If  they  are  successful 
groAvth  is  natural.  In  expanding  a  business  a  dealer  should  feel  his 
Avay,  testing  out  so  far  as  possible  the  probable  effect  of  each  neAV 
moA^e. 

A  retail  meat  dealer  is  not  only  a  business  man  but  a  citizen  of  his 
community.  The  interest  he  takes  in  ])ublic  affairs  may  help  him 
to  succeed.  Every  business  man  has  his  ])ublic  res})onsibilities,  but 
his  business  duties  should  not  be  sacrificed  to  public  ends.  In  some 
instances  the  best  service  a  man  can  render  his  community  is  in 
operating  a  successful  business. 

lietail  meat  shops  are  sometimes  ojierated  by  a  partnership.  If 
this  form  of  oAvnership  is  to  be  successful  it  is  necessary  that  there  be 
(1)  complete  haiunony  betAveen  the  jiartners,  and  (2)  good  teaniAvork. 
Loth  are  difficult  to  maintain;  caution  is  therefore  to  be  obserA^d 


Efficient  Methods  of  Retailing  Meat 


15 


when  entering  into  a  partnership.  A  clear  division  of  duties  is 
desirable,  and  the  job  of  each  partner  should  be  clearly  distinguished 
and  understood.  For  instance,  buying  may  be  done  by  one  and  the 
handling  of  finances,  books,  etc.,  by  tlie  other.  On  the  other  hand, 
a  business  can  not  be  run  as  a  unit  unless  partners  fully  cooperate. 
Neither  should  refuse  to  do  his  full  share  toward  making  the  shop 
a  success  merely  because  certain  duties  and  a  division  of  responsi¬ 
bility  have  been  assigned  to  him  for  convenience  of  operation. 

EMPLOYEES 

There  is  no  other  expense  item  in  the  operation  of  a  store  which  is 
as  large  as  the  w^age  bill.  Everything  should  therefore  be  done  to 
economize  in  this  respect  and  to  make  every  dollar  paid  for  wages 
produce  an  adequate  return.  Neither  a  low  nor  a  high  wage  rate  in 
and  of  itself  is  desirable.  AVhat  should  be  striven  for  is  a  productive 
wage — one  high  enough  to  procure  efficient  help  and  to  insure  loyalty 
and  service  on  the  part  of  those  to  whom  it  is  paid. 

A  study  of  the  operating  expenses  of  shops  in  the  metropolitan 
districts  of  Chicago,  Cleveland,  and  New  York  showed  that  the  wage 
bill,  including  reasonable  wages  for  the  proprietor  and  members  of 
his  family  employed  in  the  shop,  constitutes  approximately  12  to  13 
j^er  cent  of  sales,  or  about  G6  per  cent  of  the  total  operating  expense. 
This  represents  the  general  experience,  from  which  there  are  differ¬ 
ences,  depending  upon  the  size  of  the  shop,  the  effectiveness  of  man¬ 
agement,  and  the  type  of  service  rendered.  Cash-and-carry  shops 
were  visited  in  which  the  wage  expense  was  T  to  10  per  cent  of  sales. 
On  the  other  hand,  other  shops  of  the  same  type  paid  as  much  as  15 
to  20  per  cent  in  the  form  of  wages.  Similar  differences  in  operat¬ 
ing  expense,  so  far  as  wages  are  concerned,  were  obserA'ed  in  credit- 
and-deliA’ery  shops,  the  more  efficient  ones  oj^erating  with  a  Avage 
expense  of  10  to  13  per  cent,  the  less  efficient  ones  at  15  to  20  per  cent. 

The  payment  of  wages  should  be  made  in  accordance  Avith  service 
rendered.  It  is  a  mistaken  policy  to  ])ay  the  same  amount  to  clerks 
of  Avidely  different  experience  and  training.  Ability,  experience, 
and  interest  in  the  operations  of  the  store  should  be  the  guiding 
principle  in  fixing  a  scale  of  payment.  Successful  merchants,  it  Avas 
found,  do  not  pay  their  help  the  same  rate  regardless  of  their  A^alue 
to  the  business. 

A  flat  Avage  rate,  moreover,  rarely  secures  the  most  efficient  service 
from  those  to  Avhom  it  is  paid.  Experience  has  demonstrated  the 
advisability  of  paying  to  managers  and  head  clerks  some  form  of 
extra  compensation  to  stimulate  their  best  efforts  and  to  enlist  their 
interest  in  the  business.  Such  extra  jAayments  should  be  a  percent¬ 
age  based  upon  net  profits  rather  than  upon  sales.  If  the  payment 
is  based  on  sales  employees  may  be  interested  in  the  sales  themselves 
rather  than  in  the  profit  they  bring  to  the  business.  The  sales  which 
are  easily  made  and  upon  Avhich  the  margin  is  small  may  receiA^e 
their  chief  attention.  They  may  be  Avasteful  in  cutting  and  trim¬ 
ming  meat.  If  extra  compensation  is  based  upon  net  profits  em- 
2:)loyes  are  more  likely  to  keep  the  interests  of  the  entire  shop  in 
mind.  If  this  is  done  they  should  be  instructed  in  the  methods 

62G54°— 25 - 3 


10  Miscellaneous  Circular  54,  U.  S.  Dept,  of  Agriculture 


which  are  used  to  compute  profits  and  in  the  importance  of  economy 
of  operation. 

Dealers  frequently  find  it  advisable  to  "ive  to  managers  and  head 
clerks  an  interest  in  their  business.  This  is  especially  common 
when  dealers  operate  more  than  one  store.  If  a  manager  has  a  share 
in  the  firm  he  is  likely  to  take  an  interest  in  the  operation  of  the 
shop,  to  give  his  best  service,  and  to  Tvork  closely  in  cooperation 
with  the  proprietor. 

The  sympathy  and  cooperation  of  employees  are  often  obtained 
by  proprietors  who  show  an  interest  in  their  welfare.  This  may 
take  a  variety  of  forms,  such  as  (1)  making  them  presents  at  Christ¬ 
mas  time,  (2)  giving  them  an  annual  vacation  with  pay  of  at  least 
one  week,  and  (3)  giving  them  an  afternoon  off  each  week  to  com¬ 
pensate  for  working  Saturday  afternoons  and  evenings.  Other 
similar  methods  are  frequently  found  helpful  in  developing  a  well- 
operated  shop.  No  shop  can  be  run  efficiently  without  (1)  a  plan 
of  operation,  and  (2)  the  assignment  of  duties  in  keeping  with  it. 

Employees  have  different  capacities  and  skill.  Work  should  be  so 
distributed  that  each  does  the  task  for  which  he  is  best  suited.  It 
is  wasteful  to  have  a  skilled  employee  spend  his  time  in  doing 
routine  tasks.  In  the  study  of  conditions  in  New  York,  Chicago, 
and  Cleveland  many  cases  were  observed  where  high-grade  clerks 
were  delivering  orders  while  delivery  boys,  hired  for  this  purpose, 
were  in  the  store.  Such  a  condition  could  come  about  only  through 
mismanagement  and  failure  to  plan  work  in  advance. 

A  fundamental  principle  of  planning  work  in  a  meat  shop  is  to 
reduce  to  a  minimum  the  idle  time  of  employees.  There  are  several 
ways  to  accomplish  this  end:  (1)  If  sales  are  concentrated  within 
certain  hours  of  the  day  clerks  may  be  used  to  cut  and  prepare  meats 
in  advance ;  to  do  this  may  make  it  possible  to  operate  without  extra 
help  within  such  hours;  (2)  the  otherwise  idle  time  of  clerks  may  be 
used  in  such  work  as  keeping  the  .shop  in  order,  preparing  display 
material,  and  making  sausage  and  cooked  meats. 

To  utilize  employees’  time  fully  it  is  necessary  that  work  be  planned 
in  advance.  If  delivery  service  is  rendered  this  type  of  trade 
should  be  systematized,  the  orders  secured  in  advance,  and  deliveries 
made  at  regular  intervals  rather  than  haphazardly.  It  is  wasteful 
to  send  small  orders  singly  or  to  cover  the  same  territory  several 
times  during  the  day. 

So  far  as  possible,  the  shop  shoidd  b?  made  a  comfortable  place  in 
which  to  work.  If  it  is  too  cold  in  the  winter  months  clerks  can  not 
work  efficiently.  Moreover,  a  cold  shop  is  not  attractive  to  trade,  es- 
])ecially  if  the  service  is  slow  and  it  is  necessary  for  customers  to 
wait. 

A  well-managed  shop  should  have  adequate  help  for  the  business 
it  attracts.  It  should  be  neither  over  nor  under  manned.  But  be¬ 
cause  of  the  nature  of  the  .service  rendered,  which  is  demanded  at 
certain  hours  of  tlie  day  rather  than  b?ing  distributed  evenly,  extra 
help  is  often  required. 

What  is  a  test  of  the  necessity  for  an  additional  employee  ?  A  full¬ 
time  clerk  should  sell  each  week  between  $100  and  $500  worth  of 
meat  in  order  to  make  it  profitable  for  an  employer  to  keep  him 
on  the  pay  roll.  Without  skillful  management  clerks  will  not  average 


Efficient  Methods  of  Retailing  Meat 


17 


sales  of  these  amounts.  If  work  is  not  well  planned,  duties  clearly 
defined,  and  operation  supervised,  much  of  the  time  of  employees 
will  be  unproductive.  To  guard  against  such  employment  the  con¬ 
stant  attention  of  the  proprietor  is  required. 

In  choosing  employees  merchants  should  be  governed  by  the  fol¬ 
lowing  simple  rule :  Men  should  not  be  hired  until  a  proprietor  is 
sure  of  their  ability,  experience,  honesty,  and  suitability  to  the  par¬ 
ticular  tasks  required  of  them.  This  is  a  matter  to  which  the  efficient 
manager  gives  careful  attention.  It  is  costly  to  displace  men  and 
to  train  new  employees.  When  a  satisfactory  man  is  obtained  every 
effort  should  be  made  to  retain  him. 

In  the  training  of  employees  the  following,  among  other  things, 
should  be  emphasized:  (1)  Effect  of  wasteful  cutting  and  trimming 
meat;  (2)  the  necessity  of  courtesy  to  customers  and  ruinous  effects 
of  showing  preference  to  certain  favored  customers;  (3)  importance 
of  reading  the  scale  accurately  and  the  consequence  of  dropping  off 
odd  amounts  in  order  to  quote  sales  in  round  numbers  or  even  money ; 
(4)  ill  effects  of  objectionable  personal  habits  and  the  drawing 
power  of  courtesy  and  a  pleasing  manner. 

Employees  should  be  treated  by  the  manager  with  the  same  cour¬ 
tesy  that  he  extends  to  the  trade  and  which  he  expects  his  employees 
to  render  to  those  whom  they  serve.  If  a  clerk  makes  a  mistake  he 
should  be  corrected  in  a  tactful  way,  and  the  nature  of  his  error 
clearly  pointed  out.  He  should  not  be  abused  or  browbeaten.  Any 
such  criticism  should  be  deferred  until  customers  are  out  of  the  shop. 

Business  is  often  stimulated  not  alone  by  advertising,  price  con¬ 
cessions,  etc.,  but  by  the  enthusiastic  support  and  loyalty  of  the 
clerks.  This  may  be  assured  (1)  by  instructing  them  in  the  prices 
and  nutritive  value  of  meat,  and  (2)  by  telling  them  the  invoice 
prices  of  merchandise,  changes  in  market  prices,  and  total  expenses 
of  operation.  If  this  is  done  sales  will  tend  to  grow,  meats  which 
are  more  profitable  will  be  disposed  of,  and  slow  cuts  will  be  moved 
more  rapidly.  For  a  manager  to  think  of  the  business  which  his 
clerks  are  helping  him  to  carry  on  as  his  is  a  mistaken  policy.  It 
leads  to  a  certain  amount  of  suspicion  on  the  part  of  the  clerks,  in¬ 
difference  to  the  difficulties  which  must  be  overcome,  and  ultimately 
to  the  loss  of  employees.  A  rapid  turnover  of  help  is  expensive,  no 
matter  to  what  cause  it  may  be  due. 

If  stores  are  large  or  several  shops  are  operated  by  a  manager, 
it  is  found  to  be  desirable  to  hold  sales  meetings  occasionally.  At 
such  meetings  the  experiences  of  the  different  salesmen  may  be 
learned  and  the  proprietor  given  an  opportunity  to  discuss  with 
his  employees  trade  conditions  and  demands  and  to  receive  from 
them  suggestions  for  the  improvement  of  the  business.  Such  meet¬ 
ings  may  be  used  profitably  for  instruction  in  cutting,  in  methods 
of  procuring  new  business,  and  in  ways  in  Avhich  to  meet  com¬ 
petition. 

Every  intelligent  manager,  in  the  conduct  of  his  business,  should 
ask  himself  the  following  questions:  (1)  Am  I,  as  owner  and  man¬ 
ager,  earning  the  wages  which  I  take  out  of  the  business?  (2)  Am 
I  paying  myself  for  services  not  rendered?  (3)  Can  I,  througli 
more  efficient  management,  do  the  things  for  which  I  am  paying 
others?  (4)  Is  the  time  of  my  labor  force  productively  employed 


18  Miscellaneous  Circular  5^,  U.  S.  Dept,  of  Agriculture 

or  is  a  large  part  of  it  Avasted?  (5)  Am  I  employing  an  expensive 
man  Avhere  an  inexpensiA^e  man  AAmuld  do  as  Avell?  (6)  HaA^e  I 
distributed  the  duties  of  my  labor  force  according  to  their  value 
and  AA^ages  received?  (7)  Is  my  labor  force  too  large  for  the  busi¬ 
ness  Avhich  I  do?  (8)  If  I  can  not  reduce  my  labor  force,  can  I  so 
stimulate  sales  as  to  utilize  productiA^ely  their  full  time?  (9)  Do 
the  Avages  Avhich  I  pay  myself  and  labor  force  take  so  much  out  of 
each  dollar  of  sales  that  I  can  not  successfully  compete  Avith  my 
neighbors?  (10)  Some  of  my  competitors  are  doing  business  at 
a  loAver  Avage  cost.  Why  ? 


PURCHASING 

A  retailer  serves  in  tAvo  capacities :  ( 1 )  As  a  purchaser  of  goods 
from  the  Avholesaler  or  packer  and  (2)  as  a  seller  of  goods  to 
the  consumer.  If  goods  are  Avell  purchased  they  are  half  sold. 

A  dealer’s  gross  operating  margin  depends  in  part  upon  the  price 
he  pa3^s  for  his  merchandise.  If  its  cost  to  him  is  relatively  small, 
his  margin  is  relatively  large  Avith  a  giA^en  retail  selling  price.  Too 
much  attention,  therefore,  can  not  be  giA^en  by  retailers  to  the  pur¬ 
chasing  of  the  commodities  they  later  AAUsh  to  sell. 

Retail  meat  dealers  in  the  larger  cities  folloAV  tAvo  general  methods 
of  buying:  (1)  Personally  Ausiting  the  AAdiolesale  markets  or  pack¬ 
ers’  salesrooms  and  selecting  the  merchandise  Avhich  they  need  or 
(2)  purchasing  through  salesmen  directly  or  by  the  use  of  the  tele¬ 
phone.  Each  method  has  certain  advantages  and  certain  disad- 
A^antages.  Since  meats  are  not  uniform  in  quality  and  are  ungraded, 
inspection  before  buying  or  confidence  of  the  dealer  in  the  sales¬ 
man’s  description  of  the  merchandise  is  necessary. 

Purchasing  by  personal  Ausits  to  Avholesale  markets  seems  to  be 
desirable  (1)  AAdien  large  quantities  of  meat  are  needed;  (2)  AAdien 
cheaper  grades  are  desired — retailers  serving  as  “  clean-up  ”  men 
for  packers  or  Avholesalers ;  (3)  Avhen  merchants  have  expert  knoAvl- 
edge  of  the  different  grades  and  A^alue  of  meat  and  can  therefore 
choose  Avisely;  and  (4)  Avhen  retail  shop  management  is  so  efficient 
that  repeated  absences  of  the  proprietor  from  the  shop  do  not  inter¬ 
fere  Avith  business  operations. 

On  the  other  hand,  purchasing  by  inspection  at  Avholesale  markets 
has  certain  disadvantages.  Retailers  as  a  rule  are  not  so  skilled  in 
judging  meats  as  are  packers’  salesmen.  The  latter  naturally  attempt 
to  obtain  the  highest  price  possible,  and  the  aA’^erage  retailer  is  at  a 
disadvantage  Avhen  bargaining  Avith  them  OA^er  quality  and  price. 
Many  retail  dealers  pride  themseh^s  on  being  shreAvd  buyers 
(“sharpshooters”  or  “ graA^ediggers,”  as  they  call  themseh^es) ,  but 
such  shreAvdness  is  only  relative,  the  chances  being  that  any  cleA^er- 
ness  Avhich  retailers  may  liave  is  more  than  met  by  that  of  salesmen. 
MoreoA’er,  retailers  as  a  rule  are  not  Avell  A^ersed  in  market  conditions, 
do  not  knoAv  the  prices  offered  by  other  retailers  for  a  given  quality 
and  type  of  meat,  and  in  some  instances  may  bid  too  high  and  pay 
unnecessarily  high  prices.  There  is  a  temptation  to  the  shopper 
to  OA’erbuy,  unsuitable  grades  being  ])urchased  because  of  price  in¬ 
ducements,  real  or  imaginary. 

For  retailers  to  give  a  i)art  of  the  day  at  least  tAvo  or  three  times 
a  Aveek  to  personal  Ausits  to  Avholesale  markets  to  make  their  pur- 


Efficient  Methods  of  Retailing  Meat 


19 


chases  takes  them  away  from  their  shops  and  diverts  their  attention 
from  the  selling  side  of  their  business.  They  are  generally  successful 
in  proportion  as  they  give  close  attention  to  the  detail  of  store 
operations.  While  they  are  purchasing  in  person  the  following, 
among  other  things,  may  occur  in  the  store:  (1)  Clerks  may  steal 
cash  or  merchandise,  mak^  price  concessions,  or  actually  give  away 
merchandise  to  certain  favored  customers;  and  (2)  clerks  may  be  dis¬ 
courteous  to  the  trade  and  waste  their  time,  thus  failing  to  render 
efficient  service  and  ultimately,  possibly,  drive  away  trade. 

If  meat  is  improperly  cut  parts  are  left  over  which  are  difficult 
to  dispose  of  at  a  profit,  spoilage  and  trimming  are  excessive,  and 
cuts  will  not  be  sold  in  their  proper  order.  If  this  happens  whatever 
saving  in  price  the  manager  may  hope  to  obtain  by  shopping  at  the 
markets  may  be  more  than  offset.  After  closely  studying  his  pur¬ 
chasing  problems,  if  a  retailer  decides  that  it  is  necessary  for  him 
to  visit  Avholesale  markets  the  time  so  used  should  be  kept  at  a  mini¬ 
mum.  He  should  compare,  as  nearly  as  he  can,  the  advantages  which 
come  from  such  a  practice  with  those  which  may  be  secured  by  pur¬ 
chasing  through  salesmen  or  by  telephone. 

Purchasing  through  salesmen  or  by  telephone  seems  to  be  advan¬ 
tageous  (1)  when  small  quantities  of  merchandise  are  bought, 

(2)  when  only  the  better  grades  of  meat  are  handled,  and  (3)  when 
the  dealer  has  only  a  fair  knowledge  of  grades  and  values. 

Good  and  choice  grades  of  meat  constitute  only  about  22  per  cent 
of  the  total  supply.  Demand  for  these  is  always  great.  Naturally, 
it  is  a  practice  of  packers  and  wholesalers  to  favor  their  regular 
customers  with  such  merchandise.  If  a  retailer  has  shown  confi¬ 
dence  in  a  packer  and  regularly  telephones  his  orders,  or  purchases 
direct  from  salesmen,  he  can  expect  to  receive  consideration  in  his 
purchases. 

Dealers  who  give  their  orders  to  salesmen  directly  or  purchase  by 
telephone  will  receive  favorable  consideration  largely  in  proportion 
as  they  (1)  maintain  pleasant  and  businesslike  relations  with  their 
wholesalers;  (2)  treat  them  honestly  and  fairly  in  every  way; 

(3)  give  them  to  understand  that  merchandise  unsuitable  in  either 
price  or  quality  Avill  be  immediately  returned;  (4)  pay  their  bills 
promptly;  (5)  keep  in  close  touch  with  changing  prices  and  market 
conditions;  and  (6)  concentrate  their  purchases. 

Wholesalers  of  meat  products  actively  compete  with  each  other 
for  the  trade  of  retail  shops.  Merchants  are  constantly  under  the 
temptation  to  scatter  their  purchases.  To  buy  intelligently  a  re¬ 
tailer  should  buy  from  wholesalers  and  packers  Avho  handle  the 
particular  type  of  merchandise  his  trade  demands.  As  a  retailer 
expects  the  consumer  to  choose  carefully  between  the  different  mar¬ 
kets  which  he  may  patronize,  so  he  himself  should  make  his  pur¬ 
chases  under  the  conditions  which  are  most  advantageous.  He  should 
avoid  becoming  dependent  upon  small  ]:>eddlers  of  meat  and  upon 
wholesalers  who  make  it  their  practice  freely  to  grant  him  credit. 
Such  treatment  in  the  end  is  expensive.  It  costs  the  wholesaler 
money  to  render  tliis  type  of  service,  and  a  })rice  for  it  must  ulti¬ 
mately  be  charged.  As  soon  as  a  i*etailer  has  become  obligated  to 
a  wholesale  distributor  he  is  not  free  to  buy  as  he  chooses  but  must 
pay  the  prices  asked.  On  the  other  hand,  however,  peddlers  some- 


20  Miscellaneous  Circular  54,  U.  S.  Dept,  of  Agriculture 


times  are  able  to  render  especially  quick  service  for  such  merchandise 
as  pork  products,  livers,  brains,  or  special  cuts  of  beef,  lamb,  veal, 
etc. 

There  is  no  single  principle  by  which  a  retailer  may  judge  as  to 
(he  number  of  wholesalers  from  whom  he  should  buv.  The  whole- 
saler  who  receives  onlv  a  small  share  of  a  merchant’s  orders  at  infre- 
quent  intervals  can  not  extend  to  him  favored  treatment  as  to  price, 
quality,  and  service.  The  wholesaler  in  this  respect  takes  the  same 
attitude  toward  the  retailer  that  the  retailer  does  toward  the  con¬ 
sumer. 

There  are  certain  advantages  in  patronizing  a  limited  number  of 
houses.  Among  these  are  (1)  price  concessions,  (2)  suitable  quality, 
and  (3)  adequate  seiwice.  Moreover,  if  a  wholesaler  regularly  sup¬ 
plies  the  needs  of  a  retail  merchant  he  can  anticipate  his  require¬ 
ments,  extend  to  him  Ioav  prices  because  of  quantity  purchases,  and 
make  an  effort  to  procure  the  desired  grade  of  meat.  In  times  of 
scarcity  regular  customers  ahvays  get  preference  over  irregular  ones. 
The  wholesaler  may  be  of  distinct  service  in  times  of  financial  difficulty 
in  extending  to  his  regular  customers  the  necessary  credit  to  tide 
them  over  difficult  periods. 

Equally  as  important  as  the  method  of  buying  and  the  types  and 
number  of  packers  from  which  purchases  are  made  is  the  kind  of 
meat  purchased.  This  should  be  suitable  to  the  demands  of  the 
trade.  Only  those  types  of  products  should  be  bought  for  which 
there  is  a  demand.  IVhen  the  demand  is  known  then  the  problem  of 
purchasing  is  simplified,  provided  the  proper  qualities  and  types  are 
available.  Meats  should  be  purchased  which,  when  cooked,  haA’e  the 
flavor  and  tenderness  that  satisfy  customers.  Meats  are  cooked  for 
more  or  less  customary  periods  of  time,  and  if  such  cooking  does  not 
make  the  products  palatable  the  retailer’s  trade  suffers.  If  inferior 
grades  which  require  longer  cooking  are  sold  complaints  are  bound  to 
occur.  The  best  way  to  forestall  complaints  is  to  prevent  them  from 
arising. 

Carcasses  of  meat  differ  materially  as  to  quantity  of  fat  and  bone ; 
and  if  purchases  are  made  without  these  facts  being  considered,  wastes 
in  products  and  possibly  loss  of  trade  will  result.  Demands  of  the 
trade  determine  in  part,  at  least,  the  weight  which  should  be  pur¬ 
chased.  If  customers  demand  steaks,  roasts,  and  chops  of  a  certain 
size,  carcasses  should  be  purchased  which  will  satisfy  them.  A  dealer 
who  can  purchase  whole  carcasses  is  usually  able  to  buy  at  a  some¬ 
what  cheaper  price  and  to  secure  a  profitable  margin  without  having 
to  [)rice  the  choicer  cuts  too  high.  The  merchant  who  bine's  in  addi¬ 
tion  extra  cuts  of  the  less-demanded  parts  has  a  still  greater  ad¬ 
vantage. 

Such  types  of  merchandise  as  smoked  meats  and  package  goods 
are  sold  under  advertised  brands.  Consumers  are  familiar  with  such 
l)roducts  and  frequently  ask  for  them  by  name.  If  possible,  mer¬ 
chants  should  antici])ate  these  wishes  of  customers  and  make  every 
effort  to  obtain  the  desired  types.  If  this  is  done  turnover  of  mer¬ 
chandise  is  increased  and  consequently  the  profit  on  investment  en¬ 
hanced. 

A  rapid  turnover  is  essential  to  success.  It  insures  that  meats  will 
be  sold  while  fresh  and  that  smoked  meats  and  i:)ackage  goods  will  be 


Efficient  Methods  of  Retailing  Meat 


21 


rapidly  moved  from  the  shelves.  It  is  secured  with  a  given  volume 
of  sales  by  keeping  at  a  minimum  the  stocks  of  merchandise  held, 
or  with  a  given  stock  of  merchandise  by  increasing  sales.  Over¬ 
stocking  is  an  evil  which  should  be  avoided  at  all  cost.  Excessive 
stocks  result  in  shrinking,  spoilage,  waste,  trimming,  and  price  sacri¬ 
fices  to  prevent  loss.  The  only  sure  corrective  for  overpurchasing  is 
a  knowledge  of  stocks  on  hand  and  of  trade  demands.  Merchants 
should  make  a  turnover  of  fresh  meats  at  least  every  three  days. 
They  can  not  do  this  if  they  buy  Avithout  a  knoAvledge  of  their  inven¬ 
tories  and  of  demands. 

lYhen  meat  is  purchased  retail  dealers  should  in  every  case  re¬ 
weigh  it  and  check  the  invoice  price.  Wholesalers  as  a  class  are  un¬ 
doubtedly  honest.  They  do  not  intentionally  OA^erweigh  or  incor¬ 
rectly  state  the  quantity  of  merchandise  delivered,  but  mistakes 
will  occur,  and  it  is  only  common  sense  for  a  retailer  to  make  certain 
that  the  quantity  paid  for  is  the  same  as  that  received. 

It  seems  to  be  the  practice  in  Chicago,  Cleveland,  and  NeAv  York, 
Avhen  meat  is  purchased  on  credit  to  pay  for  it  Aveekly.  Not  infre¬ 
quently,  howeA^er,  a  cash  basis  is  used  in  the  belief  that  price  conces¬ 
sions  are  giAxn;  but  credit  is  as  satisfactory  as  cash,  pro  Added  bills 
are  paid  promptly  Avhen  due.  Many  dealers  are  careless  in  paying 
their  bills,  letting  them  run  several  days  after  they  are  due.  Those 
who  are  habitually  sIoav  are  either  put  on  a  C.  O.  D.  basis  or  pay 
higher  prices  for  their  merchandise. 

Merchants  should  aAmid  excessiA^e  dickering  about  prices.  Such  a 
practice  is  objectionable  and  Avholesalers  anticipate  it  and  fix  their 
price  at  such  a  figure  that  it  Avill  be  acceptable  to  them  after  con¬ 
cessions  asked  for  are  granted.  Merchandise  should  not  be  purchased 
in  large  quantities  in  the  expectation  of  price  increases,  but  the  mar- 
kst  should  not  be  ignored.  Careful  buyers  study  it  thoroughly  and 
price  their  merchandise  as  nearly  as  possible  in  keeping  Avith  the 
general  trend. 

Retailers  should  know  the  general  market  conditions  of  meat 
products.  Information  of  this  character  may  be  obtained  from  a 
number  of  sources.  Prices  are  quoted  in  neAvspapers  and  the  trade 
press,  and  valuable  information  on  grades  of  meat,  receipts  of  liA^e- 
stock,  stocks  on  farms,  and  general  conditions  of  demand  is  supplied 
by  the  Daily  Market  NeAvs  Service,  maintained  by  the  United  States 
Department  of  Agriculture.  This  can  be  obtained  free  by  Avriting 
the  Department  of  Agriculture. 

RULES  FOR  EFFICIENT  BUYING 

1.  Purchase  merchandise  Avhich  is  suited  to  demands  of  customers 
and  do  not  substitute  inferior  grades. 

2.  Buy  (quantities  to  meet  consumers’  needs  and  keep  in  mind  the 
relation  of  purchases  to  turnover. 

3.  Buy  at  prices  as  low  as  jiossible,  but  remember  that  price  is 
only  one  of  the  factors  that  affect  the  margins  of  profitable  merchan¬ 
dising. 

4.  Cultivate  friendly  relations  Avith  AAdiolesalers  and  packers.  It 
pays. 

5.  Keeq:)  to  a  minimum  the  amount  of  time  spent  in  buying.  A 
shop  demands  the  utmost  attention  to  details. 


22  Miscellaneous  Circular  5^/^,  U.  S.  Dept,  of  Agriculture 


6.  Don’t  overstock. 

7.  Don’t  scatter  purchases  among  too  many  houses. 

8.  Don’t  neglect  prompt  payment  of  bills. 

REFRIGERATION  AND  CARE  OF  MEAT 

Retail  meat  dealers  handle  perishable  products  for  the  most  part. 
Accordingly,  if  the  products  are  not  properly  refrigerated  or  moved 
rapidly  loss  results.  Dealers’  total  margins  are  made  up  of  the  dif¬ 
ference  between  the  cost  and  sales  value  of  articles  sold.  As  a  rule 
those  who  care  for  their  meat  efficiently  have  higher  margins  than 
those  who  are  careless  about  this  matter.  In  the  minds  of  some 
dealers  it  is  the  cost  price  only  Avhich  determines  margins.  This 
point  of  view  is  incorrect.  Cost  is  one  of  the  factors,  but  only  one, 
by  which  margins  are  controlled.  Sales  are  equally  important,  and 
these  are  directly  related  to  the  refrigeration  and  care  of  the  prod¬ 
ucts  sold. 

For  refrigeration  a  temperature  of  34  to  38°  F.  is  the  most  satis¬ 
factory.  The  temperature  should  be  kept  as  nearly  uniform  as  pos¬ 
sible,  since  fluctuations  are  damaging.  Too  much  moisture  in  the 
air  causes  molds  to  appear  and  meat  to  spoil  rapidly;  on  the  other 
hand,  too  dry  an  atmosphere  causes  shrinkage  and  drying  out.  Proper 
circulation  is  necessary  to  reduce  the  moisture  and  remove  odors. 

Both  ice  and  mechanical  methods  are  used  to  refrigerate  meat. 
In  general  the  latter  proves  the  more  satisfactory.  The  loAvest  tem¬ 
perature  usually  produced  by  ice  in  hot  weather  in  the  average  box 
is  about  45°  F.  In  some  cases  40°  or  lower  may  be  obtained,  but 
only  when  boxes  are  unusually  Avell  constructed  and  the  conditions 
of  the  building  are  favorable.  It  is  difficult  to  obtain  an  even  tem¬ 
perature  by  the  use  of  ice.  The  frequent  opening  and  the  poor 
fitting  of  doors  when  ice  is  used  cause  the  temperature  inside  of  the 
box  to  fluctuate  several  degrees.  Moreover,  when  this  method  of 
refrigeration  is  used  it  is  difficult,  if  not  impossible,  to  avoid  ex¬ 
cessive  moisture  and  to  provide  for  the  absorption  of  that  given  off 
by  meat.  Dealers  who  use  ice  find  it  necessary  to  trim  their  prod¬ 
ucts  because  of  the  molds  produced.  The  use  of  unslacked  lime  helps 
to  reduce  the  moisture,  but  it  is  not  entirelv  satisfactory  for  this 
purpose.  Again,  air  circulation  in  an  ice-cooled  box  is  not  so 
satisfactoiy  as  in  one  cooled  by  mechanical  methods.  Poor  circu¬ 
lation  causes  spoilage  and  consecpiently  occasions  waste. 

Conditions  essential  to  ])roper  refrigeration  are  in  general  easier 
to  secure  when  mechanical  refrigeration  is  used.  Almost  any  de¬ 
sired  tem})eratiire  can  be  I'eached  and  maintained.  Low-tempera¬ 
ture  cooling  surfaces  readily  take  up  excess  moisture  and  keep  im¬ 
purities  in  a  frozen  condition.  The  cooling  surfaces  draw  warm 
air  to  them  and  set  up  circulation  in  the  box.  In  addition  to  these 
advantages,  mechanical  refrigeration  permits  the  aging  of  meat 
when  demanded  and  eliminates  the  inconvenience  of  handling  ice. 
On  the  other  hand,  this  method  of  refrigeration  is  more  likely  than 
is  the  use  of  ice  to  produce  cro.ss  currents  of  air,  thus  causing  moist¬ 
ure  to  collect  on  the  walls  of  the  cooler  and  on  the  meats  themselves. 

In  selecting  an  ice  machine  the  following  points  should  be  con¬ 
sidered  ; 


Efficient  Methods  of  Retailing  Meat 


23 


1.  The  capacity  of  the  machine  should  be  sufficient  to  give  proper 
refrigeration.  A  machine  which  is  too  small  will  be  unsatisfactory ; 
one  which  is  too  large  is  unnecessary  and  expensive.  Expert  advice 
as  to  the  type  of  machine  necessary  in  a  particular  case  can  be  ob¬ 
tained  by  proper  inquiry. 

2.  A  model  should  be  chosen  which  has  proved  satisfactory. 

3.  Arrangements  should  be  made  with  those  from  whom  a  machine 
is  purchased  to  make  necessary  repairs  and  to  keep  it  in  order. 

4.  A  machine  should  not  be  purchased  until  the  dealer  is  sure  that 
the  building  is  to  be  occupied  a  sufficient  time  to  justify  installation. 

5.  Although  it  is  generally  true  that  the  actual  expense  of  refrig¬ 
eration  by  machine  (including  depreciation  and  interest  on  invest¬ 
ment  as  well  as  other  expenses)  is  greater  than  refrigeration  by  ice, 
yet  the  former  seems  to  be  the  less  expensive  in  the  end. 

For  shops  depending  upon  counter  display  of  fresh  and  cut 
meats  refrigerated  cases  are  necessary  in  hot  weather.  They  have 
advantages  in  that  they  (1)  permit  the  display  of  meat  in  wholesome 
condition;  (2)  save  the  time  of  help  in  Tvaiting  on  the  trade; 
(3)  protect  meat  from  flies,  dust,  etc.;  (4)  increase  the  sales  of 
all  cuts,  including  those  which  move  slowly ;  and  ( 5 )  make  it  possible 
to  display  meats  cut  in  advance  for  rush-hour  trade. 

There  are  two  general  types  of  refrigerated  cases — the  service 
counter  and  the  storage  counter.  The  first  is  suitable  to  shops  that 
cut  meat  in  advance  and  when  sales  are  made  direct  from  the  case. 
A  low  temperature  is  not  needed  in  such  a  counter,  because  meats 
are  turned  over  rapidly.  If  used  it  should  be  so  constructed  as  to 
permit  quick  cleaning  and  rapid  work. 

The  storage  counter,  because  of  its  heavy  doors,  slows  up  operation 
and  is  frequently  difficult  to  clean,  but  has  the  advantage  of  saving 
the  time  of  clerks,  because  meats  can  be  taken  out  and  cut  on  the 
counter,  thus  reducing  the  trips  to  the  ice  box.  It  may  be  used 
as  an  extra  cooler  and  for  display  of  whole  cuts,  such  as  legs  of 
lamb,  pork  loins,  ribs,  chucks,  and  poultry,  because  any  desired  tem¬ 
perature  can  be  maintained. 

Too  dry  air  should  be  avoided  in  refrigeration  counters,  because 
it  dries  out  and  turns  meats  dark.  In  this  form  thev  are  unattrac- 

A/ 

tive  to  the  trade. 

When  fresh  meats  are  received  they  should  be  put  in  the  refrig¬ 
erator  at  once.  If  they  are  allowed  to  hang  about  the  shop  for 
some  time  after  delivery,  unnecessary  shrinkage  and  spoilage  result, 
and  they  are  less  attractive  in  appearance.  Bloody  and  other  parts 
Avhich  spoil  quickly  must  be  washed  and  cut  off  immediately.  The 
parts  of  the  carcass  that  spoil  quickly  are  beef  and  veal  necks, 
skirts,  flaps,  hanging  tenders,  flanks,  strips  of  beef  under  chine  bone, 
etc.  When  fresh  these  parts  are  salable  in  the  form  of  sausage, 
hamburger,  etc. 

Meat  should  be  carefully  hung.  If  attention  is  given  to  this 
matter,  unnecessary  tearing,  rapid  decay,  sliding,  and  stretching  out 
of  shape  are  prevented.  Efficient  dealers,  when  possible,  follow  the 
practice  of  hanging  meats  by  the  rib.  This  is  almost  alwa3^s 
done  with  loins  and  fore-cpiarter  cuts.  Some  dealers  prefer  not  to 
hang  but  to  lay  rounds  on  boxes  and  benches.  If  this  is  done  they 
should  not  be  allowed  to  lie  on  the  cut  surface,  because  this  causes 


24  Miscellaneous  Circular  54,  U.  S.  Dept,  of  Agriculture 


meat  to  darken.  Cuts  which  require  the  greatest  care  in  handling 
are  veal  shoulders  and  beef  chucks.  These  quickly  stretch  out  of 
shape  unless  they  are  hung  by  the  ribs. 

Meats  should  be  placed  so  that  they  will  not  injure  each  other. 
Salted  and  smoked  meats  darken  fresh  cuts  which  they-  touch  and 
lamb  flavors  them.  Tainted  pieces  should  not  be  allowed  to  remain 
in  the  box. 

ESSENTIALS  IN  REFRIGERATING  MEATS 

1.  Keep  refrigerators  at  low  and  uniform  temperatures,  the  air 
fairly  dry  and  freely  circulating. 

2.  Put  fresh  meats  under  refrigeration  at  once. 

3.  Trim  off  from  the  carcass  immediately  the  parts  that  spoil 
quickly. 

4.  Use  care  in  hanging  and  placing  meats  in  the  ice  box. 

CUTTING  OF  MEAT 

The  cutting  of  meat  is  a  skilled  operation.  A  retail  meat  dealer 
may  be  ever  so  proficient  as  a  salesman  and  business  man,  but  he  may 
not  succeed  because  of  the  inefficient  way  in  Avhich  the  perishable 
product  which  he  sells  is  cut.  Out  of  the  entire  carcass  or  parts  of  it  he 
is  required  to  cut  portions  suitable  to  the  trade  and  to  price  them  so 
that  his  costs  will  be  compensated,  an  operating  margin  secured,  and 
profits  realized. 

To  cut  meat  effectively  all  knives,  saws  and  cleavers  must  be  sharp 
and  in  good  condition.  If  tools  are  dull  clean  cuts  can  not  be  made. 
If  they  are  not  clean  meats  are  given  a  ragged  appearance.  Parallel 
cuts  are  necessary  to  j^revent  the  accumulation  of  unsalable  ends. 
Successful  cutting  can  be  largely  measured  by  the  degree  to  which 
these  parts  are  kept  at  a  minimum. 

The  demands  of  the  trade  are  the  first  consideration  in  cutting 
meats,  but  in  some  cases  these  are  so  unreasonable  that  they  can  not 
be  met.  A  compromise  is  then  necessary.  To  cut  so  as  to  obtain 
the  maximum  yield  of  choice  parts  is  important,  but  it  is  sometimes 
less  important  than  satisfying  customers.  To  do  this  may  reduce 
the  margins  on  articles  sold,  but  may  have  the  effect  of  increasing  de¬ 
mand.  Volume  is  necessary  to  profitable  operation.  There  is  evi¬ 
dence  to  support  the  contention  that  if  volume  can  be  obtained  profits 
will  result  even  though  margins  are  small.  This  follows  because 
with  large  volume  operating  expenses  tend  to  be  low. 

Efficient  cutters  give  attention  to  the  appearance  and  palatability 
of  meat  when  cut.  Others  disregard  them.  IVhen  cutting  round 
steaks,  for  example,  they  cut  at  a  sharp  angle  to  the  grain.  More 
steaks  are  obtained,  but  the}^  are  tough  and  unpalatable  when  cooked. 
The  better  way  is  to  cut  round  steaks  at  right  angles  to  the  grain.  If 
this  is  done  the  number  is  reduced  but  the  meat  is  tender.  Some 
dealers  cut  beef  rum))s  very  short  in  order  to  leave  more  cuts  for 
round  steak.  Accordingly,  the  I'limps  are  small,  conii)Osed  of  a  lai'ge 
proj)ortion  of  bone  and  fat,  and  are  difficult  to  sell.  JNIore  dis¬ 
cerning  dealers  cut  the  rumps  large  enough  to  be  valuable  in  them¬ 
selves  and  thus  make  them  easier  to  sell. 

Dealers  can  not  always  be  expected  to  meet  the  wishes  of  cus¬ 
tomers,  F or  instance,  a  customer  asks  for  a  large,  square  cut  of  solid 


Efficient  Methods  of  Retailing  Meat 


25 


meat  from  a  leg  of  veal.  The  butcher  grants  the  request,  and  as  a 
result  a  large  part  of  the  remaining  leg  is  unsalable.  This  sale,  al¬ 
though  profitable  in  itself,  is  unprofitable  because  of  its  consequence. 

Meats  should  be  cut,  in  the  first  place,  so  far  as  possible  to  the  size 
required  by  customers.  If  this  is  not  clone  odd  ends  and  pieces  ac¬ 
cumulate  which  must  be  sold  for  stew,  ground  into  hamburg,  or  made 
into  sausage.  Upon  these  odds  and  ends  ma^rgins  are  small. 

Efficient  dealers  before  cutting  meats  are  careful  to  find  out  from 
customers  precisely  what  is  desired.  With  this  in  mind  they  then 
iMit  the  meat  to  the  desired  size,  or,  if  it  is  already  cut,  select  a  suit¬ 
able  piece.  By  thus  determining  customers’  requirements  in  advance, 
ends  will  tend  to  be  reduced  and  pieces  already  cut  to  move  rapidly. 

If  profit  is  to  be  made  on  the  sale  of  cooked  meats  it  is  necessary 
to  cut  at  or  under  the  quantity  required  by  customers.  For  in¬ 
stance,  if  30  cents’  worth  of  boiled  ham  is  asked  for  a  dealer  should 
cut  until  he  believes  he  has  enough  and  then  weigh  the  product.  If 
the  scale  reads  28  cents  he  should  stop  cutting  and  sell  the  quantity 
for  28  cents.  If  he  cuts  another  slice  and  then  sells  32  cents  worth  for 
30  cents  his  margin  practically  disappears. 

Slow-moving  cuts  require  the  careful  attention  of  dealers.  Those 
who  cut  such  meats  in  advance  have  little  difficulty  in  disposing  of 
them.  By  so  doing  they  make  the  entire  carcass  ready  for  distribu¬ 
tion  to  any  type  of  trade  which  may  arise. 

The  more  successful  dealers  as  a  rule  attempt  to  sell  the  fore¬ 
quarter  cuts  first.  They  cut,  trim,  and  prepare  them  before  touching 
the  hind  quarter.  They  are  also  careful  to  trim  and  bone  them,  thus 
improving  their  appearance  and  increasing  their  value  in  the  eyes 
of  customers.  Inasmuch  as  these  cuts  contain  much  waste,  high 
prices  can  not  be  charged  for  them  unless  they  are  satisfactorily 
trimmed. 

Among  the  more  effective  suggestions  for  preparing  for  sale  the 
slower-moving  cuts  are : 

1.  Bone  and  roll  necks  of  beef  and  sell  them  fresh  or  corned. 

2.  Cut  up  as  steaks  chucks  Avhich  move  slowly  as  roasts.  To  elimi¬ 
nate  long  skirts  on  rib  and  round  bone  cuts  of  chuck  roasts,  some 
dealers  cut  out  a  square  piece  known  as  the  English  cut.  This  con¬ 
sists  of  the  ends  of  four  or  five  ribs  cut  from  the  lower  corner  of  the 
chuck  next  to  the  rib  roast  and  plate.  It  makes  a  desirable  roast  for 
slicing  because  of  the  solid  meat  above  the  ribs. 

3.  Prepare  the  big  end  of  a  large  rib  roast  (sixth  to  eighth  ribs)  as 
follows:  Remove  the  blade  bone,  sell  the  meat  above  for  stew, 
chopped  beef,  etc.,  and  bone  and  roll  the  remainder. 

4.  Bone  and  roll  beef  plate  and  sell  fresh  or  put  into  brine  for 
corning. 


5. 


Cut  off  the  lower  (corner  of  beef  sirloin,  making  a  triangular 
cut  (called  “top  sirloin”)  suitable  for  roasts  or  small  steaks. 

6.  Bone  and  roll  rum[)s  and  sell  them  as  fresh  roasts  or  corned 
beef. 

7.  Bone  and  roll  the  entire  fore  (piarter  of  veal,  including  the  neck, 
shoulder,  rib,  breast,  and  shank.  Some  dealers  also  bone  and  roll 
the  shoulder  and  veal  breast — the  latter  frecpiently  being  also  pock¬ 
eted  for  stuffing  or  made  into  patties  or  crocpiettes. 

8.  Bone  and  roll  or  make  into  patties  or  croquettes  the  breast  and 
shank  of  lamb. 


26  Miscellaneous  Circular  54,  U.  S.  Dept,  of  Agriculture 


9.  Cut  shanks  and  butts  of  smoked  hams  into  large  pieces.  In 
this  form  customers  are  generally  willing  to  pay  a  price  for  them 
which  is  profitable. 

Dealers  with  customers  who  consider  price  very  important  need 
to  be  conservative  about  the  degree  to  which  they  trim  their  products. 
Careful  and  adequate  trimming,  however,  pays  in  the  long  run,  not¬ 
withstanding  the  impression  commonly  held  that  trimming  is  not 
justified.  Consumers  have  little  need  for  excessive  fat  and  bone, 
but  retailers,  if  they  are  careful,  can  dispose  of  them  at  more  than 
sacrifice  prices.  Customers  are  slowly  coming  to  realize  that  car¬ 
casses  are  not  made  up  entirely  of  choice  parts,  and  that  if  they  in¬ 
sist  upon  receiving  only  such  cuts  they  must  pay  high  prices. 

The  best  outlets  for  left  overs,  trimming,  etc.,  are  in  hamburger 
and  corned  beef.  To  develop  a  trade  in  such  products  requires  that 
only  the  best  products  be  used  and  that  the  meats  be  carefully  pre¬ 
pared.  Only  fresh  meats  should  be  used,  with  all  sinews  and  excess 
fat  trimmed  off.  When  dealers  are  careful  about  this,  experience 
shows  that  an  active  trade  in  these  j^roducts  can  be  developed. 

Meats  selected  for  corning  should  be  strictly  fresh.  Moreover, 
the  brine  solution  must  be  of  suitable  strength  and  be  changed  fre¬ 
quently.  Some  dealers  find  it  advisable  to  use  three  brine  tanks. 
The  first  contains  a  weak  solution  which  soaks  out  the  blood,  the 
second  a  strong  solution  which  does  the  actual  curing,  and  the  third 
a  weak  solution  in  which  beef  is  kept  after  being  cured  and  while 
awaiting  sale. 

Sausage  and  cooked  meats  provide  an  outlet  of  secondary  impor¬ 
tance  for  trimmings  and  left-over  pieces.  If  a  dealer  is  efficient 
there  is  comparatively  little  meat  which  should  be  used  for  this  pur¬ 
pose.  Left  overs  in  large  quantities  indicate  inefficient  buying,  han¬ 
dling,  cutting,  and  selling.  Meats  sold  over  the  counter  bring  far 
greater  returns  than  when  made  into  sausage. 

Sausage  trade  of  a  distinctive  character  is,  however,  often  profit¬ 
able.  Indeed,  some  dealers  buy  trimmings  and  meats  for  the  manu¬ 
facture  of  sausage.  For  retailers  to  make  a  profit  from  making  and 
selling  sausages,  however,  they  must  use  only  quality  products  and 
charge  adequate  prices.  They  can  successfully  compete  with  sau¬ 
sage  firms  only  on  condition  that  they  make  a  superior  product. 
Extra  labor  is  required  if  sausage  is  made  in  large  quantities,  and 
usually  such  labor  is  not  fully  utilized.  If  this  is  the  case  the  costs 
are  higher  than  those  where  sausage  making  is  carried  on  on  a  large 
.scale. 

In ’disposing  of  fat,  bones,  and  waste  to  rendering  ])lants  retail 
dealers  should  obtain  the  most  profitable  terms  possible.  'Whether 
sudi  items  should  be  sold  separately  or  mixed  depends  U]:)on  the  pro- 
))ortions  of  the  ingredients.  Dealers  should  always  make  a  test  of 
the  mixture  of  the  Avaste  to  determine  Avhether  it  is  more  profitable 
to  sell  it  separately  or  mixed. 

RULES  FOR  CUTTING  OF  MEAT 

1.  Divide  the  carcass  to  suit  the  demands  of  trade  rather  than  to 
obtain  the  maximum  yields  of  various  parts. 

2.  Cut  and  prepare  fore  quarters  before  hind  (piarters. 


Efficient  Methods  of  Retailing  Meat  27 

3.  Be  sure  to  find  out  the  size  of  piece  desired  by  a  customer  before 
cutting. 

4.  Remember  that  efficient  cutters  have  fcAV  left-overs. 

5.  Carefully  trim  and  bone  the  inexpensive  cuts. 

6.  Use  care  in  preparing  hamburger  and  corned  beef. 

T.  Always  cut  meats  to  insure  their  tenderness  when  cooked. 

MERCHANDISING 

PRICING  POLICY 

The  volume  of  retail  sales  depends  upon  two  things — the  quantity 
of  goods  sold  and  the  prices  realized  for  them.  Inasmuch  as  retail¬ 
ing  of  meat  is  highly  competitive,  prices  are  competitiA^ely  deter¬ 
mined. 

At  any  given  time  the  amount  which  a  retailer  should  charge  for 
his  products  is  determined  by  (1)  the  price  which  he  pays  for  them, 
(2)  his  operating  expenses,  and  (3)  a  reasonable  profit. 

The  cost  of  the  articles  sold  is  fixed  by  forces  largely  beyond  his 
control.  This  does  not  mean  that  the  price  paid  is  unimportant  or 
that  skill  and  judgment  are  unnecessary  in  choosing  the  products 
which  are  sold.  It  indicates  only  that  he  is  required  to  pay  the 
ruling  price  of  the  market.  Outside  conditions  do  not  so  clearly 
govern  his  expenses  of  operation.  They  are  largely  subject  to  his 
own  control.  Among  the  ways  suggested  through  which  efficient 
dealers  are  able  to  keep  expenses  within  bounds  are  the  selection  of 
proper  sites  and  the  utilization  of  the  labor  force. 

Retail  meat  dealers  sell  goods  which  are  manufactured  and  pre¬ 
pared  for  the  trade ;  that  is,  out  of  whole  carcasses  or  parts  of  them 
they  cut  and  prepare  portions  suitable  for  customers’  day-to-day 
needs.  Because  of  this  fact  pricing  is  difficult.  It  is  almost  impossi¬ 
ble  to  determine,  otherwise  than  by  experience  and  through  com¬ 
petitive  influences,  the  prices  which  will  be  paid  and  which  will 
compensate  dealers  for  the  costs  incurred.  There  are,  however, 
fundamental  rules  and  principles  which  can  be  followed  in  the  deter¬ 
mination  of  price,  and  something  is  said  concerning  them  later. 

Exjoerience  seems  to  demonstrate  that  an  efficient  pricing  policy 
is  based  upon  the  following  fundamental  rules : 

1.  Prices  should  be  reasonable  when  all  of  the  service  rendered  by 
a  merchant  is  considered. 

2.  So  far  as  po.ssible,  prices  should  be  charged  which  yield  fair  mar¬ 
gins  on  different  items  or  types  of  meat  handled.  When  prices  are 
charged  which  yield  widely  different  margins  customers  are  con¬ 
fused,  compare  the  levels,  and  become  uncertain  in  their  patronage. 
To  use  many  leaders  or  specials  is  unAvise.  To  dcA^elop  bargain¬ 
hunting  practices  on  the  part  of  consumers  defeats  the  merchant’s 
purpose  in  the  use  of  them.  On  the  other  hand,  if  they  are  properly 
used  they  serve  as  adA’ertising  mediums. 

3.  Fractional  prices,  such  as  12i/i,  143/4,  153/4  cents,  should  not 
be  used.  Such  amounts  make  it  appear  that  ])rice  determination  is 
scientific,  when  in  fact  it  is  not.  Moreover,  this  is  the  fa^mred  device 
of  unscrupulous  dealers  Avho  make  a  practice  of  giving  short  Aveights. 
Consumers  look  Avith  suspicion  upon  such  prices  and  are  likely  to 
confuse  the  motives  of  dealers  in  fixing  them  at  these  amounts. 


28  Miscellaneous  Circular  5^,  U.  S.  Dept,  of  Agriculture 


Computing  scales  do  not  indicate  with  precision  the  prices  of  meat 
sold  in  odd  fractional  parts  of  a  cent,  and  consumers  if  they  want 
to  verify  them  have  difficulty  in  making  the  required  calculations. 
Moreover,  customers  generally  buy  in  quantities  too  small  to  make 
computation  in  fractions  of  cents  of  value  to  retailers.  The  only 
exceptions  to  the  general  rule  are  for  articles  selling  below  10  cents 
a  pound,  in  Avhich  cases  half -cent  differences  may  be  justified. 

4.  When  necessity  requires  prices  should  be  cut.  Such  occasions 
occur  when  stocks  are  excessive  or  Avhen  they  are  moving  Avith  dif¬ 
ficulty.  Indiscriminate  price  cutting,  hoAveA^er,  is  bad.  It  deA^elops 
a  lack  of  confidence  on  the  part  of  consumers. 

5.  In  so  far  as  possible,  retail  prices  should  folloAV  the  movements 
and  changes  in  Avholesale  prices  of  meat  products.  At  times  it  is 
difficult  to  do  this  because  of  the  rapid  fluctuations  in  the  Avholesale 
market.  Retail  prices  can  not  be  changed  eA-ery  day  or  tAAm.  It 
is  nevertheless  unAvise  to  maintain  retail  prices  at  a  giA^en  leA^el, 
regardless  of  changes  in  the  Avholesale  market.  When  this  is  done 
retailers  do  not  assist  in  maintaining  a  steady  floAV  of  meat  products 
through  clistributiA^e  channels.  If  the  Avholesale  market  is  flooded, 
retail  price  concessions  may  serA^e  to  moA^e  them  to  consumers 
quickly,  not  only  to  the  retailer’s  benefit  but  also  to  that  of  the 
entire  trade. 

6.  A  one-price  policy  is  desirable.  Some  dealers  unwisely  adhere 
to  some  extent  to  the  policy  of  treating  customers  differently  in  the 
matter  of  price.  Discrimination  of  this  sort  reacts  unfaAmrably  in 
almost  eA^ery  case.  The  prices  of  a  commodity  like  meat,  Avhich  is 
purchased  daily  in  neighborhood  centers,  are  currently  compared. 
Discrimination  soon  becomes  knoAvn  and  reacts  unfaA^orably  upon 
the  merchant  attempting  by  this  method  to  increase  his  sales. 

Unfortunately,  most  retail  meat  dealers  have  no  scientific  method 
of  determining  prices  on  indiAudual  articles  sold.  They  are  guided 
by  “hunches,”  imitation,  and  prevailing  practice.  This  is  not  suc¬ 
cessful  merchandising,  except  in  the  feAV  cases  Avhere  merchants  are 
able  closely  to  guess  Avhat  the  price  should  be.  Failures  in  this 
respect  are  as  frequent  as  are  successes.  Some  dealers  folloAv  such 
crude  methods  as  the  folio Aving:  Pricing  round  steak  at  tAvice  the 
cost  of  straight  cattle  and  sirloin  steak  at  tAvo  and  one-half  times 
this  cost.  Others  blindly  folloAv  the  lead  of  competitors  Avithout 
regard  to  their  OAvn  operating  expenses  or  the  prices  they  pay  for 
the  articles  sold. 

Successful  dealers  fix  their  prices  as  the  result  of  frequent  tests. 
They  refuse  to  folloAV  meat  charts  blindly,  i)ref erring  to  set  them 
in  keeping  Avith  the  peculiar  demands  of  their  trade  and  the  kinds 
of  meat  handled.  In  this  resj^ect  they  are  Avise,  because  the  methods 
of  cutting,  the  demand  for  various  types  of  meat,  percentage  of 
Avaste,  etc.,  differ  Avidely  from  shop  to  shoj)  and  from  grade  to 
grade  of  meat,  and  betAveen  carcasses  Avithin  the  same  grade.  It  is 
almost,  if  not  Avholly,  impossible  to  establish  one  general  set  of 
tests  Avhich  Avill  suffice  for  eA^ery  retailer.  Each  dealer  shoidd  make 
his  own  tests,  presei’A^e  the  records,  and  adjust  his  cuts  from  time 
to  time  in  keeping  AAuth  changes  in  methods  of  cutting  and  the 
grades  of  meat  handled. 


Efficient  Methods  of  Retailing  Meat 


29 


Cutting  tests  for  cut  meat  are  different  from  those  for  whole  car¬ 
casses.  In  the  first  the  costs  of  the  various  retail  cuts  should  be 
actually  computed,  those  of  the  minor  cuts,  trimmings,  and  wastes 
being  figured  at  prevailing  market  quotations.  Table  1  shows  the 
manner  of  making  a  test  on  a  beef  rib. 


Table  1. — Test  on  a  2-'i-pound  Iteef  rib  purchased  at  15  cents  per  pound,  total 

$3.60  ^ 


Products 

Weight 

Cost 

price 

Total 

cost 

Bones  and  waste  _  _ 

Pounds 

5 

im 

$0.  005 
.  12 
.  1897 

$0.  03 
.06 
3.51 

Meat  trimmings  _  _  _ _  _  _ _ _ 

Eib  roast  (boned)  _  _  .  . . .  .  .  _ _ 

Total _ 

24 

3.  60 

In  this  test  the  cost  prices  of  bones  and  meat  trimmings  were 
taken  at  the  market  prices  at  the  time.  The  boned  rib  roast,  as 
shown,  cost  approximately  19  cents.  This  figure  was  computed  as 
follows:  The  total  value  of  the  bones  and  trimmings  (which  was  9 
cents)  was  subtracted  from  the  total  cost  of  the  rib  ($13.60)  leaving 
$3.51  as  the  cost  of  the  entire  roast  when  boned.  This  figure  ($3.51) 
divided  by  the  weight  (18i/^  pounds)  gave  18.97  cents  as  the  cost  per 
liound. 

A  method  simliar  to  this  can  be  followed  in  determining  the  cost 
prices  of  retail  parts  in  any  other  Avholesale  cuts.  To  the  cost  price 
the  dealer  should  add  a  margin  sufficient  to  cover  his  total  expense, 
a  reasonable  profit,  and  an  allowance  for  shrinkage.  If  a  dealer 
considers  a  gross  margin  of  25  per  cent  of  sales  as  necessary,  he  must 
add  331/^  per  cent  to  the  cost  price  in  order  to  realize  this  figure. 
He  should  not  make  the  mistake  of  thinking,  as  many  do,  that  a  cer¬ 
tain  percentage  on  selling  price  is  also  the  same  percentage  on  cost 
2^rice.^ 


Percent¬ 
age  on 
selling  price 

Percent¬ 
age  on 
cost  price 

Percent¬ 
age  on 
selling  price 

Percent¬ 
age  on 
cost  price 

Percent¬ 
age  on 
cost  price 

Percent¬ 
age  on 
selling  price 

Percent¬ 
age  on 
cost  price 

Percent¬ 
age  on 
selling  price 

20. 00 

25.  00 

26.  00 

35. 15 

25.  00 

20.  00 

31.00 

23.  68 

21.  00 

26.  58 

27.  00 

37.  00 

26. 00 

20.  62 

32.  00 

24.  22 

22.00 

28.  20 

28.  00 

38.  85 

27.  00 

21.25 

33.  00 

24.81 

23.00 

29.88 

29.  00 

40.  85 

28.  00 

21.87 

34.  00 

25.  37 

24.  00 

31.  60 

30.  00 

42.  85 

29.00 

22.  48 

35.  00 

25.  93 

25.  00 

33.  33 

30.  00 

23.  07 

To  determine  percentage  on  cost  price  for  a  given  percentage  on  selling  price: 

Percentage  on  selling  price 
1— percentage  on  selling  price. 


^  ,  100 

For  instance,  20  per  cent  on  selling  price=  100—20=80.  -gQ-  of  20=25  per  cent  on  cost 
To  determine  percentage  on  selling  price  for  a  given  percentage  on  cost  price: 

Percentage  on  cost  price 
1+percentage  on  cost  price. 

25 

For  instance,  25  per  cent  on  cost  price= 100+25=  125.  of  25=20  per  cent  on  selling  price. 


1  Table  of  percentage  equivalents:  Percentages  on  cost  price  and  on  selling  price. 


30  Miscellaneous  Circular  5^,  U.  S.  Dept,  of  Agriculture 


If  ^yhole  carcasses  are  handled  it  is  difficult  if  not  impossible  for 
dealers  to  determine  cost  prices  of  the  different  retail  cuts.  A  table, 
however,  can  be  set  up  similar  to  Table  2,  and  if  the  results  of  three 
or  four  tests  of  this  character  are  averaged  information  will  be  pro¬ 
vided  Avhich  will  serve  as  a  convenient  and  fairly  accurate  pricing 
guide.  When  wholesale  prices  change  a  new  scale  of  retail  x^rices  can 
be  worked  out  in  kee^Ding  with  the  adjustments.  The  results  of 
tests,  as  a  rule,  hold  good  so  long  as  the  grades  of  meat  handled  and 
the  method  of  cutting  are  maintained.  Changing  prices  do  not 
affect  the  yields  of  various  cuts.  The  illustration  in  Table  2  ap^Dlies 
to  dressed  lamb,  and  similar  ones  can  be  made  for  beef,  veal,  and  j^ork. 

Table  2. — Test  on  36%  pounds  of  lain!)  purchased  at  $0.31  per  pound 


Retail  cuts 


Shanks  and  neck _ 

Shoulders _ 

Breasts... _ _ 

Rib  chops  (7  ribs) _ 

Loin  chops _ 

Legs - - - 

Kidneys  (2) _ 

Shop  fat  (from  hind  saddle) 
Waste  (fore  saddle) _ 

Total,  whole  lamb _ 


Lamb  brought _ $14.38 

Lamb  cost  at  $0.31 _ 11.40 

Gross  margin _ 2.98 


Gross  margin=20.7  per  cent  of  sales;  gross  margin=26.1  per  cent  of  cost 

ADVERTISING 

Since  the  aim  of  advertising  is  to  assist  in  the  sale  of  goods,  it  has 
a  place  in  the  successful  merchandising  policy  of  a  meat  shojo  as  well 
as  in  any  other  retail  establishment.  Advertising  in  its  broadest 
sense  includes  everything  that  attracts  the  attention  of  the  buying 
public.  It  includes  recommendations  of  satisfied  customers,  fair 
]>olicies,  efficient  management,  favorable  location,  pleasing  store  front 
and  displays,  as  well  as  direct  forms  of  advertising,  but  this  publica¬ 
tion  is  concerned  only  with  the  direct  forms  of  advertising  used  in¬ 
side  and  outside  retail  meat  shox:)s. 

Forms  of  Advertising  Inside  the  Shop 

All  shops,  large  or  small,  can  use  inside  advertising  with  good 
effect,  the  only  exception  being  those  catering  almost  entirely  to  de¬ 
livery  trade,  very  little  of  which  enters  the  store.  Such  advertising, 
although  inexj^ensive,  is  often  successful. 

Show  cards  are  of  two  types,  one  advertising  the  store’s  policies 
and  the  other  describing  articles  on  sale.  Cards  illustrating  store 
policies  may  read:  ‘‘Our  aim  is  to  please,”  “IVe  sell  for  cash  only,” 
“Please  rej^ort  any  discourteous  treatment,”  etc.;  one  advertising 
certain  jiroducts  may  read  :  “  Try  our  delicious  pork  sausage — always 
fresh.”  Show  cards  must  be  neat  in  ax:)X)ea ranee,  brief,  and  so 


Per  cent 
cf  whole 

Weight 

Selling 
price  per 
pound 

Exten¬ 

sion 

9.2 

Lhs.  07.  s. 

3  6 

$0.25 

$0.84 

18.7 

6  14 

.40 

2.  75 

9.7 

3  9 

.12H 

.45 

11.6 

4  4 

.55 

2.  34 

10.3 

3  12 

.65 

2.  43 

33.6 

12  7 

.44 

5.  46 

.5 

0  3 

.03 

.06 

4.8 

1  12 

.02*4 

.05 

1.6 

9 

.00^ 

100.0 

36  12 

0.391 

14.  38 

Efficient  Methods  of  Retailing  Meat 


31 


placed  that  they  can  be  easily  seen  and  read.  Colored  cards  are  de¬ 
sirable,  although  black  and  white  cards  are  satisfactory.  If  merchants 
themselves  are  unable  to  prepare  neat  and  attractive  cards  they 
should  have  them  made  by  professional  sign  painters.  Cluttering 
■  up  a  shop  with  too  many  signs  should  be  avoided.  Placards  dis¬ 
tributed  by  meat  trade  organizations  advertising  the  wholesomeness 
of  meat  in  general  or  advocating  the  buying  of  certain  less  ex¬ 
pensive  cuts  are  useful. 

An  appropriate  store  name  properly  painted  on  a  window  serves 
as  an  advertising  medium.  Such  names  as  “  Stockyards  Market  ”  or 
“  Packing  House  Market  ”  should  not  be  used ;  “  Quality  Meat  Shop,” 
‘‘The  Sanitary  Market,”  “Bright  Market,”  are  more  desirable. 
IVlien  specials  are  announced  on  a  window,  neatly  painted  signs  or 
paper  signs  should  be  used.  Some  dealers  make  the  mistake  of 
painting  their  windows  in  large,  ugly  letters  and  figures.  A  window 
with  a  few  sj)ecials  painted  neatly  and  in  ordinary-sized  letters  and 
figures  is  sure  to  attract  trade. 

Demonstrations  by  manufacturers  of  sausage,  cooked  meats, 
smoked  meats,  etc.,  draw  trade  to  retail  shoj^s.  Booklets  prepared 
and  distributed  by  packers  and  trade  organizations  containing  in¬ 
structions  for  cooking  the  less-demanded  and  inexpensive  cuts  are 
serviceable  in  increasing  the  sale  of  these  cuts. 

Novelties,  such  as  blotters,  calendars,  pencils,  or  fly  swatters,  may 
be  used  for  adA^ertising  purposes,  but  their  cost  should  not  be  per¬ 
mitted  to  become  excessiA^e.  Where  purchases  are  made  by  children 
good  will  may  be  assured  by  presenting  them  Avith  such  noA^elties  as 
caps,  toy  balloons,  jDencils,  and  penholders,  that  carry  the  dealer’s 
adA^ertisement. 

Forms  of  Advertising  Outside  the  Shop 

Advertising  by  means  of  neAvspapers,  circulars,  or  handbills,  and 
letters  is  expensiA^e  and  is  not  generally  used  by  meat  dealers.  Meat 
is  an  eA^eryday  necessity,  and  because  people  more  or  less  regularly 
patronize  certain  shops  these  forms  of  adA^ertising  do  not  pay  as  a 
rule.  In  the  case  of  a  comparatively  fcAv  dealers,  hoAvever,  these 
mediums  are  used  Avith  good  results.  Success  in  the  cases  noted 
seemed  to  be  attributable  to  the  fact  that  the  adA^ertisements  Avere 
carefully  prepared  and  Avere  used  persistently  rather  than  occa¬ 
sionally. 

If  circulars  are  used  they  must  be  Avisely  distributed.  If  letters 
are  sent  to  prospecti\"e  or  regular  customers  the  mailing  list  should 
be  relatively  small,  carefully  selected,  and  “  aliA^e.”  Letters  are  ex- 
pensiA'e  Avhen  the  costs  of  the  stationery,  printing,  addressing,  and 
postage  are  considered.  One  dealer  estimated  his  cost  at  5  cents  a 
letter.  But  letters  can  be  used  to  advantage  by  delivery  shops  as 
means  of  procuring  ncAV  accounts,  and  they  may  be  inclosed  Avith 
monthly  statements  to  established  customers,  and  may  be  used  to 
secure  prompt  payments  and  to  advertise  ncAV  or  special  products  on 
hand  and  inexpensive  cuts. 

AdA^ertising  outside  the  shop  to  be  effectiA^e  must  be  used  intelli¬ 
gently.  Advice  and  assistance  from  experienced  advertising  men 
rather  than  from  ordinary  printers,  for  instance,  are  necessary. 

Advertisements  must  haA^e  attention-getting  (pialities.  These  are 
obtained  by  the  use  of  headings  of  suitable  size  and  type — a  feAV 


32  Miscellaneous  Circular  5^,  U.  S.  Dept,  of  Agriculture 


words  which  effectively  state  the  message  and  in  some  way  challenge 
the  reader’s  attention.  Glaring  headings  and  extravagant  state¬ 
ments  should  be  avoided.  Borders  should  be  plain  and  of  a  kind 
which  sets  off  the  advertisement  from  other  matter.  Ornaments 
should  not  be  used,  because  they  divert  the  reader’s  attention.  Ulus-, 
trations  which  are  appropriate  to  the  advertisement  are  effective  be¬ 
cause  they  are  often  more  forceful  than  words.  Different  sizes  and 
styles  of  type  can  be  used  to  advantage  because  they  carry  emphasis. 

The  form  of  advertisement  having  been  decided  upon,  it  should 
be  used  so  long  as  it  brings  business.  Where  the  same  form  is  used 
continually  it  helps  to  identify  a  market.  Moreover,  if  it  is  always 
given  the  same  position  in  neAVspapers  and  other  printed  mediums 
it  tends  better  to  arrest  attention  than  if  it  appears  in  different 
places. 

The  wording  of  advertisements  should  be  simple,  cheerful,  to  the 
point,  and  as  brief  as  complete  description  permits.  Enough  must 
be  written  about  the  article  advertised  to  fix  the  message  in  the 
reader’s  mind.  The  message  should  be  vivid  and  appeal  to  the  read¬ 
er’s  imagination  and  appetite.  Superlatives  and  exaggerated  state- 
cents,  such  as  “  The  best  meat  in  the  world,”  or  Xo  finer  poultry 
to  be  had  anywhere,”  should  be  avoide.d.  Such  statements  are  in¬ 
effective;  it  is  better  to  understate  than  to  overstate  the  quality  or 
value.  Prices  should  be  specific.  General  statements,  such  as 
‘‘  Chickens  from  28  to  40  cents^”  are  bad :  “  Chickens  at  28  cents,  34 
cents,  and  40  cents  ”  is  better.  A  statement  describing  the  quality 
offered  at  each  price  is  best. 

Advertising  to  be  effective  must  be  truthful.  Untruthful  adver¬ 
tising  will  fail  because  women  to  whom  appeal  is  made  are  usually 
keen  buyers.  The  truth  of  this  was  acknowledged  by  dealers  who 
had  tried  misleading  advertising.  The  confidence  of  the  trade  once 
lost  is  extremely  difficult  to  regain.  If  fractional  prices  are  quoted 
the  fractions  should  not  be  in  small  print  difficult  to  read ;  if  end 
pork  chops  are  advertised  they  should  not  be  called  pork  chops ;  ” 
if  picnic  or  California  “  hams  ”  are  featured  the}^  should  not  be  called 
just  “  hams.”  If  cheap  grades  are  handled  they  should  not  be 
given  choice  names;  if  bargains  are  advertised  they  should  be  real, 
not  fakes. 

The  best  types  of  meat  to  advertise  at  a  given  time  depend 
among  other  things,  upon  the  season  of  the  year,  habits  of  consump¬ 
tion,  stocks  on  hand,  days  of  the  week,  etc.  Few  items  sliould  be 
advertised  at  one  time;  six  to  eight  specials  are  preferi*ed  by  the  best 
advertisers.  A  greater  number  makes  an  advertisement  lose  its 
appeal.  Advertised  and  branded  ])roducts  can  ])e  used  with  better 
results  than  products  not  generally  known  to  the  ])ublic. 

Occasional  advertising  does  not  secure  and  hold  ti’ade.  For  this 
purpose  repeated  suggestions  in  the  form  of  well-woi‘ded,  attractive 
advertisements  are  necessary.  Binfing  habits,  like  other  habits,  are 
not  easily  changed. 

Advertising  by  means  of  trading  stamps  and  coupons  have,  in 
general,  proved  unsatisfactory.  They  are  expensive,  amounting 
in  some  cases  to  as  mucli  as  2  per  cent  of  sales.  Misunderstandings 
and  friction  with  customers  often  result.  In  several  cases  observed 
merchants  had  discontinued  the  use  of  such  methods  without  injury. 


Efficient  Methods  of  Retailing  Meed 


33 


Advertising  in  church,  school,  fraternal  society  publications,  and 
in  programs  rarely  increases  sales,  but  does  serve  to  establish  and 
keep  good  Avill.  Expenditures  for  this  purpose  easily  grow  into  sub¬ 
stantial  sums  if  care  is  not  taken,  and  the  intangible  results  under 
such  circumstances  may  not  justify  the  money  spent.  Dealers  should 
see  that  institutions  supported  in  this  manner  are  located  in  their 
own  trade  areas. 

Cooperative  advertising  can  be  used  far  more  extensively  by  meat 
retailers  than  is  now  the  practice.  The  Avriter  obserA’'ed  a  group  of 
independent  dealers  effectively  using  cooperatiA^e  neAvspaper  adver¬ 
tising  in  order  to  meet  chain-store  competition.  Dealers  may  Avisely 
join  Avith  near-by  grocers,  A^egetable  dealers,  or  e\"en  small  depart¬ 
ment  stores  in  sending  out  circulars  and  other  advertising  matter. 

DISPLAY 

Retail  dealers  are  beginning  to  appreciate  the  importance  of  dis¬ 
play  in  merchandising  their  goods,  but  they  do  not  giA^e  it  the  atten¬ 
tion  it  deserA^es.  Meat  Avell  displayed  (1)  increases  sales,  (2)  econo¬ 
mizes  on  the  time  of  clerks  because  less  direct  salesmanship  is  needed, 
and  (3)  saA^es  the  time  of  customers  because  they  can  make  their  OAvn 
selection. 

The  extent  to  which  butchers  can  use  display  depends  upon  the 
nature  of  their  trade  and  location.  All  dealers  can  not  use  it  Avith 
the  same  effectiA^eness,  but  some  forms,  such  as  coimter  displays,  can 
be  used  by  all  shops  except  those  catering  to  trade  Avhich  seldom 
Ausits  the  store.  WindoAv  displays  are  effectiA^e  on  frequented  streets 
and  corners.  When  deciding  upon  the  advisability  of  using  elabo¬ 
rate  displays  merchants  should  consider  the  expense  inAmlved.  This 
includes,  among  other  things,  cost  of  equipment  and  material,  spoil¬ 
age  of  meats,  and  time  of  clerks  used  in  preparing  them. 

Single  AvindoAvs  running  the  length  of  the  store  giA^e  good  display 
effects.  Double  windoAvs,  or  separate  compartments,  are  necessary 
Avhen  displaying  meat  and  fish.  WindoAvs  Avhich  are  too  long  can  be 
partitioned  for  different  types  of  displays.  The  best  depth  of  a 
Avindow  for  this  use  is  3  to  31/4  feet,  and  the  most  convenient  height 
of  the  AA  indoAv  fioor  3  feet  or  more  aboA^e  the  sideAvalk  leA^el.  Because 
meats  are  rather  small-sized  articles  they  can  be  seen  most  effectively 
Avhen  brought  close  to  the  leA^el  of  the  eyes  of  obserA^ers.  (See  fig.  3.) 
Some  dealers  haA^e  found  portable  stands  placed  on  AvindoAv  floors 
effective  for  displaying  small  items.  The  floor  should  slant  toAvard 
the  street  and  be  made  of  attract! A^e  and  easily  cleaned  material; 
Avhite  vitriolite,  marble,  and  tile,  while  expensive,  are  the  best,  al¬ 
though  oilcloth  is  fairly  satisfactory.  Inclosed  AvindoAvs,  Avith  the 
upper  part  screened  to  permit  proper  A^entilation,  are  desirable  for 
fresh  meats. 

Articles  can  not  be  effectiA^ely  displayed  unless  the  light  is  ade¬ 
quate.  It  should  fall  directly  upon  the  objects  and  not  shine  in  the 
eyes  of  obserA^ers.  Reflector  lights  placed  in  the  upper  front  sec¬ 
tions  of  AvindoAvs  meet  both  these  conditions.  In  Avarm  Aveather 
•  meat  should  not  be  displayed  in  AvindoAvs  unless  provision  is  made 
for  refrigeration.  For  this  purpose  mechanical  refrigeration  is 
best,  but  it  is  too  expensiA^e  as  a  rule  for  small  shops.  As  alterna- 


34  Miscellaneous  Circular  54,  U,  S.  Dept,  of  Agriculture 

tives  dealers  can  use  large  containers  filled  with  ice  or  the  tops  of 
freezer  counters,  cooling  the  counters  mechanically  or  by  ice. 

To  overcroAvd  a  window  defeats  the  purpose  of  display.  If  the 
meats  do  not  appear  attractive  and  appetizing  trade  is  repelled. 
Products  should  be  arranged  in  a  neat  and  orderly  manner,  each 
piece,  so  far  as  possible,  clearly  in  view  of  passers-by.  If  they  are 
piled  one  on  the  other  or  carelessly  strewn  about  the  effect  is  bad. 
If  meat  is  garnished  with  fern  leaves,  parsley,  or  lettuce  leaves  it 
appears  attractive  and  fresh.  (See  fig.  4.) 

Excellent  window  effects  can  be  obtained  by  using  an  assortment 
of  meats  of  dull  and  bright  colors.  Rows  of  pork  cuts,  for  instance, 
appear  dull  by  themselves;  if  beef  cuts  are  arranged  between  them 
the  general  effect  is  improved.  To  give  cut  meats  a  pleasing  appear¬ 
ance  they  should  be  placed  on  platters. 


An  attractive  background  is  necessary  to  set  off  displays  properl3^ 
For  this  purpose  a  window  inclosure  ma}"  be  used  or  mirrors  and 
display  cards. 

The  window  glass  should  be  kept  clean  to  make  proper  display 
possible.  In  cold  weather  the  use  of  fans,  ventilators,  gas  jets,  etc., 
will  help  to  keep  the  glass  free  from  frost.  Window  floors  should 
be  kept  clean  and  neat,  and  free  from  papers,  containers,  bags, 
and  waste. 

The  prices  of  displayed  meats  should  be  indicated  by  clean  tags 
with  figures  clearly  marked.  (See  fig.  5.)  Black  cardboard  tags 
with  white  painted  figures,  or  glass  with  the  back  side  painted 
black  with  the  figures  in  white,  are  most  satisfactorv.  The  article 
to  which  each  tag  applies  and  the  sales  price  should  be  clear.  Mis¬ 
representation  of  merchandise  in  the  mind  of  the  trade  may  follow 
if  these  points  are  neglected.  When  displaying  unfamiliar  articles 


Efficient  Methods  of  Retailing  Meat 


35 


it  is  a  good  plan  to  indicate  the  price,  the  cut  of  meat,  and  the  use 
to  which  it  can  be  put. 

Week-day  displays  (Monday  to  Friday)  should  consist  mostly  of 
chops,  steaks,  stews,  pot  roasts,  etc.  Week-end  displays  (Friday  and 
Saturda}^)  should  consist  of  legs  of  lamb,  rib  roasts,  poultry,  etc. 
For  holidays  poultry  and  hams  are  appropriate;  for  fast  days 
fish  where  demanded.  Many  dealers  have  built  up  a  large  business 
in  ready-to-eat  meats  during  the  summer  by  displaying  them  at¬ 
tractively. 

Frequent  changes  of  displays  are  desirable,  because  new  products 
are  suggested  to  the  trade  and  spoilage  and  shrinkage  are  reduced 
to  a  minimum.  Fresh-cut  meats  should  be  changed  once  or  twice  a 
day.  To  sell  directly  from  the  display  stock  helps  to  accomplish 
this.  If  displayed  meats  are  kept  on  platters  stock  may  be  replaced 
quickly.  Smoked  meats  should  be  changed  often  to  prevent  ex¬ 
cessive  shrinkage.  Attractive  decorations  can  be  made  of  paper 
decorations,  display  cards  and  cartons.  Such  displays  should  be 
changed  frequently. 


Fig.  4. — A  meat  display  garnished  with  greens 


Counter  displays  should  supplement  or  follow  up  but  not  neces¬ 
sarily  be  restricted  to  those  shown  in  windows.  (See  fig.  6.)  They 
should  be  properly  refrigerated,  well  lighted,  have  the  prices  indi¬ 
cated  by  suitable  tags,  and  be  located  conveniently  to  clerks  and  cus¬ 
tomers.  Each  article  displayed  in  this  Avay  should  be  assigned  a 
certain  position,  those  that  need  to  be  pushed  being  given  places 
of  prominence. 

1.  Don’t  neglect  attractiveness  and  appetizing  appeal  in  display¬ 
ing  meats. 

2.  Don’t  fail  to  have  displays  well  lighted. 

3.  Don’t  crowd  windows  with  too  many  items  and  too  much  va¬ 
riety. 

4.  Don’t  display  in  the  window  meats  which  consumers  arc  not 
interested  in  buying  at  the  time. 

5.  Don’t  neglect  to  change  displays  frequently. 

6.  Don’t  let  spoilage  of  fresh  meats  be  excessive. 


36  Miscellaneoas  Circular  5^,  U.  S.  Dept,  of  Agriculture 


7.  Don’t  spend  too  much  money  on  display  equij^ment  and  mate¬ 
rial.  Display  is  a  means  to  an  end,  and  that  end  is  increased  profits. 

SALESMANSHIP 

Even  though  meats  are  correctly  priced,  effectively  advertised,  and 
well  displayed,  efficient  salesmanship  is  necessary  to  their  successful 
merchandising.  Salesmen  are  required  actually  to  advise  the  cus¬ 
tomer  in  buying,  to  make  the  sale,  and  to  dispose  of  the  meat  in  the 
proper  order.  It  is  the  salesman  upon  whom  the  manager  must 
depend  for  safeguarding  his  interests  and  assuring  successful 
operation. 

It  is  said  that  salesmen  are  born,  not  made.  Whatever  truth  there 
may  be  in  this  statement,  it  is  certainly  not  the  whole  truth.  Sales¬ 


men  can  be  taught  to  be  efficient.  Some  of  the  more  important  ele¬ 
mentary  lessons  of  successful  salesmanship  are  as  follows : 

1.  Customers  must  be  approached  promptly  and  courteously,  an 
interest  in  their  desires  being  shown.  Nothing  is  more  annoying  to 
a  customer  than  to  wait  until  a  clerk  or  proprietor  finishes  a  drawn- 
out  telephone  call,  or  sweeping  the  floor,  etc.  If  something  is  being 
done  which  requires  the  salesman’s  attention,  the  customer  should 
be  recognized,  greeted  pleasantly,  and  told  that  she  will  be  taken 
care  of  in  a  few  moments. 

2.  Customers  should  be  waited  on  in  the  order  in  which  they 
enter  the  store.  It  is  sometimes  difficult  to  do  this  during  rush 
periods,  but  the  principle  should  be  followed  Avhen  possible.  Clerks 
may  courteously  inquire,  “  Who’s  next  ?  ” 


Efficient  Methods  of  Retailing  Meat 


37 


3.  A  proper  form  of  address  is  desirable  when  approaching  cus¬ 
tomers.  “  Madam  ”  and  “  Sir  ”  are  preferable  to  “  Lady  ”  and 
“Mister”;  “Mrs.  Jones”  or  “Mr.  Smith”  is  better  than  either. 
“  Young  lady,”  except  in  the  case  of  a  little  girl,  should  not  be 
used.  To  call  children  by  their  first  names  often  pleases;  to  fail  to 
remember  the  name  of  a  regular  customer  is  inexcusable!.  A  cheer¬ 
ful  “  Good  morning  ”  or  “  How  do  you  do  ?  ”  often  serves  to  soothe 
a  bad  temper.  “  Yes,  ma’am  ?  ”  may  not  show  sufficient  interest. 
“  Mdiat  is  it  you  wish  to-day  ?  ”  or  “  What  can  I  do  for  you  ?  ”  is 
better. 


Fig.  6. — Counter  displays  tliat  sell  meat 


DON’TS  IN  DISPLAY 

4.  Salesmen  should  be  familiar  with  the  kind  and  quality  of  meat 
and  size  of  the  cuts  wanted  by  customers.  If  they  are  they  can 
anticipate  their  wants,  direct  in  i^art  their  purchases,  and  avoid 
wastes  in  cutting.  Some  customers  do  not  like  to  be  told  what  to  buy, 
but  few  take  exception  to  being  aided  in  purchasing. 

Suggestions  may  take  a  variety  of  forms,  such  as  “We’ve  just 
received  Some  fine  veal,”  “Veal  is  cheap  this  week,”  “May  I  suggest 
some  veal  stew?”  These  are  positiA^e — they  suggest  assent.  On  the 
other  hand,  such  leads  as  “  You  don’t  want  some  nice  A^eal  stew, 
do  you?”  are  sure  to  recei\^e  a  negatiA^e  ansAver.  A  suggestion  is 
ahvays  AA’elcomed ;  too  much  direction  may  be  resented. 

5.  Clerks  should  appear  interested  in  the  AAushes  of  customers. 
Too  frequently  they  are  treated  discourteously,  salesmen  carrying  on 
a  rapid-fire  conversation  among  themselves  or  with  outside  salesmen, 
or  exchanging  glances,  smiles,  subdued  comments — all  of  Avhich  may 
offend  sensitiA'e  patrons. 

6.  During  the  sale,  meat  should  be  carefully  handled.  It  should 
be  picked  up  and  laid  doAvn  in  a  manner  not  repulsiA^e  to  customers. 


38  Miscellaneous  Circular  U.  S.  Dept,  of  Agriculture 


For  instance,  to  seize  a  chicken,  slam  it  down  on  the  block  as  though 
it  were  a  piece  of  wood,  cut  and  draw  it  carelessly — making  it 
difficult  for  the  customer  to  stuff  it  preparatory  to  roasting — are 
bad.  Meat  should  not  be  thrown  from  a  distance  of  several  feet 
to  the  wrapping  counter.  AVhen  two  or  more  items  are  wrapped 
together  they  should  be  separated  so  that  one  kind  does  not  spoil 
or  flavor  the  other.  When  a  customer  opens  a  package  at  home  the 
meat  should  appear  in  perfect  condition.  Careful  Avrapping  for 
children  or  distant  customers  is  essential. 

7.  Dealers  should  be  enthusiastic  about  their  trade  and  impart 
such  enthusiasm  to  their  clerks.  A  thorough  knoAvledge  of  meats, 
their  food  value,  and  suitability  to  different  kinds  of  cooking  pro¬ 
motes  real  interest  in  the  service  that  dealers  render.  If  statements 
about  the  quality  or  A^alue  of  meats  are  based  upon  facts  they  carry 
conviction. 

8.  If  customers  are  served  promptly  there  is  time  for  neither  pro¬ 
prietor  nor  clerks  to  talk  much  with  them.  Engaging  in  small  talk 
and  about  matters  not  pertaining  to  business  is  especially  bad.  Too 
much  talk  may  cause  customers  to  ask  for  favors  as  to  price,  service, 
and  quality,  or  extension  of  credit  privileges.  Even  during  dull 
periods  it  is  not  Avise  to  spend  much  time  in  conversation,  because 
customers  Avill  carry  the  habit  into  rush  hours,  Avhen  time  is  precious. 

9.  Clerks  should  be  truthful  and  honest  in  dealing  with  customers. 
Their  confidence  and  good  Avill  explain  in  part  if  not  Avholly  the  suc¬ 
cess  of  some  shops;  lack  of  confidence  and  ill  Avill  the  failure  of 
others.  Untruthful  statements  about  meat,  intentional  or  otherAvise, 
must  not  be  made.  A  chicken,  for  instance,  suitable  only  for  stew¬ 
ing  should  not  be  represented  as  fit  for  roasting.  If  clerks  can  not 
give  correct  ansAvers  to  customers’  questions  they  should  inquire  of 
others  before  replying.  When  a  customer  asks  a  question  the  ansAver 
should  be  giA^en  at  once ;  hesitation  causes  her  to  think  the  butcher 
is  framing  some  alibi.  Promises  must  be  made  only  Avhen  their  ful¬ 
fillment  is  certain.  To  promise  deliA^ery  at  a  definite  time  Avhen  it 
is  knoAvn  that  it  may  not  be  made  is  bad;  to  promise  to  obtain  some 
special  item  Aidien  it  is  not  certain  that  it  can  be  had  is  equally  bad. 
Honest  Aveight — IG  ounces  to  the  pound — is  a  policy  never  to  be 
deviated  from.  The  reputation  of  a  shop  giving  short  Aveights 
spreads  quickly  and  Avidely. 

10.  Arguments  Avith  customers  should  ahvays  be  aAmided.  The 
policy  “  The  customer  is  alAA^ays  right,”  is  a  Avise  one  to  folloAv  in 
handling  complaints.  Dealers  Avho  act  upon  it,  although  knoAving 
in  a  particular  case  that  the  customer  is  Avrong,  meet  complaints 
more  successfully  than  do  those  Avho  act  upon  the  opposite  policy. 

11.  In  closing  a  sale  it  is  frecjuently  Avise  to  suggest  further  pur¬ 

chases.  If  so,  suggestions  should  be  jmsitive  not  negatiA^e.  “You 
don’t  Avant  any  bacon,  do  you?”  is  not  so  satisfactory  as  “May  I 
suggest  some  bacon  for  breakfast?  ”  “  Do  you  need  eggs  or  butter?  ” 

If  suggestions  are  oA^erdone  customers  may  take  offense.  If  they 
are  in  a  hurry  it  is  better  to  close  the  sale  Avith  a  pleasant  “Thank 
you”  than  to  urge  other  purchases.  A  smile  is  ahvays  an  asset;  a 
frigid  stare  and  a  glum  demeanor  may  proA'e  a  liability. 

12.  NeAv  customers  should  ahvays  be  giA^en  special  attention. 
To  “size  them  up”  is  not  difficult  if  salesmen  use  care  and  practice 


Efficient  Methods  of  Retailing  Meat 


39 


the  “art  of  selling.”  A  hurried  customer  can  be  distinguished  by 
her  manner.  She  moves  and  thinks  quickly,  expects  others  to  react 
in  the  same  way,  knows  what  she  wants,  and  wants  it  at  once.  Such 
a  customer  should  be  approached  promptly,  her  wants  determined 
and  filled  immediately.  Delays  will  annoy.  To  use  an  indifferent, 
lazy  manner  does  not  invite  further  patronage. 

13.  Tactful  suggestions  are  always  welcomed  by  the  undecided  cus¬ 
tomer.  These  may  take  a  number  of  different  forms.  If  it  is 
known  what  type  she  usually  buys,  a  particularly  fine  cut  of  the  same 
kind  may  be  suggested;  or,  if  she  indicates  a  desire  for  a  change, 
something  different  may  be  offered.  If  it  is  late  in  the  afternoon, 
such  items  as  roasts  or  stews  should  not  be  suggested ;  steaks  or 
chops  which  can  be  prepared  quickly  are  more  appropriate.  If  a 
customer  is  of  a  vacillating  type  a  clerk  may  decide  for  her  by 
laying  aside  the  meat  chosen,  asking  the  quantity  desired,  placing 
the  meat  on  the  scale,  etc. 

14.  The  talkative  customer  is  probably  the  most  difficult  to  serve. 
If  clerks  are  too  friendly,  their  time  is  wasted.  If  they  show  little 
interest,  she  seeks  those  who  are  more  responsive.  If  clerks  are 
kept  busy  lost  motion  from  such  trade  as  this  will  be  reduced  to  a 
minimum;  if  they  seem  to  have  time  for  visiting,  they  will  be  im¬ 
posed  upon.  Customers  of  this  type  may  be  brought  to  the  point 
if  the  clerk  uses  the  first  lull  in  the  conversation  to  remark 
casually,  “  By  the  way,  I  forgot  to  ask  you  what  you  wanted,”  “  By 
the  way,  I  didnT  show  you  the  turkeys  you  wanted  to  see,”  etc. 

15.  The  distrustful  customer  needs  to  be  especially  assured  that 
the  product  purchased  is  as  represented.  This  may  be  done  by  show¬ 
ing  all  sides  of  a  piece  of  meat ;  by  the  dealer  standing  in  a  position 
when  cutting  the  meat  to  allow  the  customer  to  see  everything  that 
goes  on;  by  leaving  the  meat  on  the  scale  long  enough  to  give  the 
customer  time  to  read  the  weight,  and,  if  necessary,  by  quoting  the 
weight  in  pounds  and  ounces,  price  per  pound,  and  total  cost. 

16.  When  foreigners  are  served  and  a  dealer  not  speaking  their 
language  has  difficulty  in  making  them  understand  he  should  use 
simple  English  words,  speak  slowly  and  distinctly,  and  explain  as 
much  as  possible  with  gestures.  Interest  in  the  wishes  of  the  cus¬ 
tomer  is  reassuring.  To  be  curt  or  impatient  will  not  procure  this 
class  of  custom. 

17.  Children  are  not  difficult  customers,  and  it  should  be  a  pleasure 
to  treat  them  kindly.  The  secret  of  many  a  merchant’s  success  lies 
in  the  attention  he  gives  to  purchases  made  by  children.  The  motto 
of  every  shop  should  be,  “Treat  children  as  well  as  or  better  than 
their  mothers.”  Children  know  nothing  about  the  price  or  quality 
of  meat.  If  sales  are  made  to  them,  dealers  assume  the  entire  re¬ 
sponsibility  for  satisfaction.  To  take  advantage  of  a  child’s  ignor¬ 
ance  is  bad  merchandising;  temporary  gain  will  prove  a  permanent 
loss. 

Children  are  valuable  in  advertising  a  shop,  and  if  treated  properly 
may  determine  the  place  where  parents  make  their  purchases.  It  is 
important  that  dealers  keep  in  mind  the  fact  that  children  are  acting 
for  their  parents  and  that  any  error  or  dissatisfaction,  will  be  at¬ 
tributed  to  the  merchant  and  not  to  the  child. 


40  Miscellaneous  Circular  54,  TJ,  S.  Dept,  of  Agriculture 


RULES  FOR  SUCCESSFUL  SELLING 

1.  A23pFoacli  all  customers  promptly  as  they  enter  the  shop  and 
make  a  sincere  effort  to  determine  what  they  Avant  and  AYhich  articles 
they  prefer. 

2.  So  far  as  possible,  give  customers  Avhat  they  Avant.  In  making 
suggestions  to  them  use  the  positiA^e  rather  than  the  negatiA^e  form. 

3.  XeA^er  become  impatient,  eA^en  Avith  the  late  customer.  Be 
courteous  at  all  times. 

4.  Don’t  misrepresent  merchandise.  If  questions  can  not  be  an¬ 
swered  correctly,  don’t  bluff  or  giA^e  a  wrong  answer. 

5.  Handle  meat  carefull}"  in  the  presence  of  customers. 

6.  Don’t  talk  too  much  Avhen  selling;  time  is  too  A^aluable. 

7.  NeA^er  contradict  a  customer  flatly;  use  diplomacy.  In  adjust¬ 
ing  complaints  folloAv  as  much  as  possible  the  policy  “  The  customer 
is  always  right.” 

8.  KnoAv  enough  about  meat  to  be  an  enthusiastic  salesman,  not  a 
mere  order  taker. 

MEETING  COMPETITION 

In  the  preceding  sections  of  this  study  attention  has  been  called 
to  the  importance  of  retail  meat  dealers  having  a  definite  pricing 
policy  and  adA^ertising  and  displa3dng  merchandise  so  as  to  attract 
and  hold  custom.  Among  other  important  aspects  of  merchandising- 
are  methods  of  meeting  competition  and  the  demands  of  trade. 

Probably  no  other  retail  business  is  more  competitive  than  meat 
distribution.  As  a  rule  operating  shops  are  small,  are  located  in  close 
proximity  to  trade,  and  rely  almost  Avholly  upon  local  patronage. 
xShops  thriA^e  or  fail  largely  in  proportion  as  they  intelligently  meet 
competitiA-e  conditions. 

Competition  is  intelligent  Avhen  thought  is  applied  to  matters  of 
price,  quality,  and  serAUce.  It  is  ig*norant  respecting  these  matters 
Avhen  no  established  policy  is  maintained,  Avhen  dealers  haA-e  no 
knoAvledge  of  th'-ir  costs,  and  are  unscrupuious  as  to  their  methods. 
The  intelligent  dealer  chooses  a  location  suitable  to  his  needs.  His 
store  is  pleasing,  sanitaiy,  Avell  lighted,  and  attractiA'e.  He  is  careful 
and  painstaking  about  his  personal  a])})earance,  sees  that  his  em- 
plo^'Ces  are  courteous  and  efficient,  knoAvs  the  Avishes  of  his  customers, 
and  intelligently  sets  about  to  meet  them.  The  inefficient  retailer, 
on  the  other  hand,  oj^erates  indilferentlA^  in  all  these  respects.  Rather 
than  consciously  planning  his  activities  h'  is  inclined  blindl}"  to 
imitate  the  practices  and  methods  of  comi)etitors,  to  sell  inferior 
grades  Avhen  he  can,  to  misrepresent  his  merchandise,  to  cheat  in  his 
Aveights,  and  to  ignore  the  importance  of  service.  He  operates  his 
store  from  day  to  da}"  largely  on  the  basis  of  guesses  and  in  ignorance 
of  the  costs  of  both  his  merchandise  and  his  o})erations. 

IVhen  a  conscientious  dealer  has  to  compete  Avith  such  a  mer¬ 
chant  it  is  a  mistake  to  folloAv  the  methods  ]>ursued  by  the  competitor. 
If  he  acts  Avisely  he  Avill  handle  superior  merchandise,  maintain 
uniform  quality,  be  absolutely  truthful  in  his  statements  about  his 
merchandise,  make  only  such  })romises  as  he  can  live  up  to,  be  courte¬ 
ous  in  his  treatment  of  the  trade,  and  in  general  folloAv  a  constructive 
Avell-thought-out  ])rogram.  It  is  needless  to  point  out  Avhich  type 
of  merchant  will  succeed. 


Efficient  Methods  of  Retailing  Meat 


41 


People  are  as  different  in  their  habits  of  consumption  of  meat 
products  as  they  are  in  other  respects.  With  some  service  is  impor¬ 
tant  ;  with  others  it  is  of  little  significance,  as  chief  attention  is  given 
to  the  prices  they  pay  for  the  purchased  articles.  As  they  differ  in 
their  financial  resources,  so  they  differ  in  the  way  in  Avhich  they  ex¬ 
pend  them.  It  is  therefore  impossible  for  any  dealer  to  succeed  un¬ 
less  he  knows  the  particular  wishes  of  his  customers  and  satisfies 
them.  If  he  does  otherAvise  his  trade  Avill  find  a  more  congenial 
market. 

Ordinary  demands  of  trade  extend  to  price,  quality,  and  service. 
But  these  are  different  under  different  circumstances,  in  different 
communities,  neighborhoods,  and  types  of  people.  What  they  are 
in  a  given  case  a  merchant  should  determine.  If  he  does  not  he 
may  attempt  to  dispose  of  merchandise  unsuited  in  price  or  quality, 
or  both,  to  those  upon  Avhom  he  depends  for  patronage.  It  is  easy 
for  an  intelligent  merchant  accurately  to  gauge  the  Avishes  of  his  cus¬ 
tomers.  If  he  keeps  a  record  of  complaints,  of  expressions  of  satis¬ 
faction,  and  of  the  readiness  with  Avhich  different  types  of  meat  are 
disposed  of  he  is  in  a  position  to  purchase  intelligently  and  to  ren¬ 
der  the  kind  of  serAuce  Avhich  is  most  in  demand.  If  he  adopts  this 
policy  he  will  find  it  relatiA^ely  easy  to  deal  Avith  the  arbitrary  and 
unreasonable  demands  of  customers. 

With  the  increase  in  the  standard  of  liAung  and  Avith  higher 
Avages  many  consumers  are  eating  more  meat  and  demanding  the 
choicer  cuts.  This  presents  a  real  problem  to  the  dealer.  It  makes 
it  necessary  for  him  to  purchase  more  carefully,  to  study  effectiA^e 
means  of  displaying  and  selling  the  sloAv-moAung  products,  and  of 
cooperating  Avith  meat  and  trade  organizations  in  an  effort  to  stimu¬ 
late  the  sales  of  the  less-demanded  cuts.  It  may  require  him  to  seek 
new  outlets,  such  as  restaurants,  boarding  houses,  and  public  institu¬ 
tions.  The  costs  of  meeting  these  latter  demands  are  generally  less 
than  those  of  indiAudual  consumers,  and  it  may  be  possible  for  him  to 
make  price  concessions  to  obtain  such  trade. 

A  careful  study  of  trade  demands  may  suggest  the  advisability  of 
adding  to  the  retail  stock  of  meat  side  lines,  such  as  vegetables  and 
fruits.  Cases  were  encountered  Avhere  such  additions  proA^ed  profit¬ 
able.  In  such  instances,  hoAvever,  dealers  kneAV  the  demands  for 
these  products,  hoAV  to  purchase  and  sell  them,  and  kept  accurate 
records  of  their  success  or  failure. 

The  rush-hour  trade  in  the  retail  meat  business  presents  difficul¬ 
ties  Avhich  are  not  easily  soh-ed.  Some  merchants  haA’e  found  it 
profitable  to  cut  and  prepare  meats  in  adA^ance  for  these  busy  periods. 
Others  hesitate  to  adopt  this  practice  because  of  the  damaging  effect 
they  think  it  Avill  have  upon  their  trade.  If  it  is  begun  gradually  con¬ 
sumers  Avill  become  accustomed  to  the  change,  and  it  seems  that  on  the 
Avhole  they  come  to  prefer  it  provided  the  meats  proA^e  satisfactory. 
People  do  not  like  to  Avait  for  serAuce,  and  almost  anything  that  pre- 
A^ents  this  Avill,  in  the  long  run,  proA^e  adA^antageous  to  all  concerned. 

Another  method  of  meeting  rush-hour  trade  is  for  dealers  to 
get  orders  in  advance.  This  is  possible  Avhere  deliATries  are  made. 
If  dealers  courteously  suggest  the  effect  Avhich  such  a  practice  has 
on  operating  efficiency,  and  are  Avilling  to  extend  to  customers,  in 


42  Miscellaneous  Circular  54,  U.  S.  Dept,  of  Agriculture 


the  form  of  price  and  service,  some  of  the  savings  resulting  there¬ 
from,  there  seems  to  be  no  reason  why  this  practice  can  not  become 
much  more  common.  Its  success  depends  largely  upon  the  skill, 
tact,  and  diplomacy  with  which  the  suggestions  are  made,  and  upon 
the  kind  of  service  rendered  if  the  suggestions  are  followed. 

Retail  meat  dealers  are  called  upon  to  render  two  types  of  special 
service:  (1)  Delivery,  and  (2)  extension  of  credit.  To  deliver  goods 
involves  a  cost.  There  may  be  compensations  for  this  through  a 
more  adequate  and  economical  use  of  labor  time,  the  wage  element 
being  by  far  the  most  important  expense  of  the  shop.  A  delivery 
system  when  well  planned  and  efficient  is  speedy,  regular,  and  de¬ 
pendable;  Avhen  inefficient  it  is  haphazard  and  costly. 

Two  deliveries  a  day  are  sufficient  in  the  case  of  most  shops.  Oc¬ 
casionally  more  are  necessary,  but  these  should  be  made  in  the  nature 
of  special  deliveries  and  regarded  as  exceptional.  Dealers,  if  they 
Avill,  can  explain  to  their  customers  much  more  fully  than  they  now 
do  the  wastes  and  inefficiencies  incident  to  their  haphazard  buying. 
They  can  be  asked  courteously  to  telephone  their  orders  early,  to 
place  them  a  day  or  two  in  advance,  and  in  some  cases  to  leave  stand¬ 
ing  orders  for  each  day  in  the  week.  Such  standing’  orders  often 
Avork  AA^ell  in  the  case  of  restaurant  and  similar  trade.  In  so  far  as 
possible  deliveries  should  be  made  only  within  reasonable  distances, 
or  costs  mount  up  and  may  seriously  reduce  profits. 

Credit  extension  is  the  other  special  form  of  service  required  of 
dealers.  Certain  customers  take  it  for  granted  that  credit  will  be 
extended,  Avhereas  others  find  it  a  convenience  for  which  they  are 
willing  to  pay.  In  some  cases  it  is  possible  for  dealers  to  discrimi¬ 
nate  betAveen  these  two  types  of  people.  Credit  privileges  are  often 
abused,  and  attention  to  them  is  constantly  required  on  the  part  of 
dealers. 

Careful  extension  of  credit  it  the  first  step  necessary  in  order  to 
keep  bad  accounts  to  a  minimum.  Dead  beats  ”  are  found  in  al¬ 
most  every  community,  and  it  is  only  a  measure  of  safety  on  the  part 
of  dealers  to  require  from  each  customer  Avho  applies  for  credit  in¬ 
formation  Avhich  Avill  serA’e  as  a  basis  for  extending  this  priAulege. 
This  should  contain,  among  other  things,  the  customer’s  name  and 
address,  his  occupation,  a  statement  concerning  property  OAvned,  and 
references  to  Avhom  merchants  can  refer  in  case  of  need,  including 
the  former  meat  dealer. 

If  credit  is  extended  such  information  should  be  required  in  all 
cases.  No  one  can  legitimately  object  to  supplying  it.  Credit  should 
not  be  extended  to  all  classes  alike.  There  is  no  reason  Avhy  a  dealer 
can  not  use  discrimination  in  this  matter,  being  liberal  to  those  Avho 
are  prompt  in  their  payments  and  seA’ere  Avith  those  Avho  are  neg¬ 
ligent. 

If  credit  is  not  to  be  abused,  dealers  must  giA^e  the  matter  of  collec¬ 
tions  continuous  attention  and  get  their  statements  out  promptly. 
Tliey  should  not  alloAv  accounts  to  run  on  beyond  their  due  dates  ex¬ 
cept  in  rare  cases.  The  terms,  moreover,  should  suit  the  classes  of 
trade,  some  being  required  to  pay  Aveekly  and  others  placed  on  a 
semimonthly  or  montldy  basis.  The  maximum  period  should  not  ex¬ 
tend  beyond  a  month.  Restaurant  accounts  should  be  collected 
Aveekly, 


Efficient  Methods  of  Retailing  Meat 


43 


It  is  necessary  for  dealers  to  keep  accurate  records  of  charge  sales. 
If  the  volume  of  business  does  not  warrant  the  employment  of  a 
bookkeeper  devices  permitting  quick  and  accurate  recording  of  sales 
should  be  installed.  But  to  keep  an  accurate  record  does  not  suffice. 
It  must  be  constantly  gone  over,  customers  informed  that  their  ac¬ 
counts  are  due,  and  in  case  of  an  unwarranted  delay  further  credit 
refused.  In  general  native  American  people  have  become  accus¬ 
tomed  to  buying  on  credit.  With  other  nationalities  this  practice 
is  not  so  ingrained,  and  difficulties  often  arise  subsequent  to  purchase 
in  explaining  the  details  of  amounts  due  and  in  making  collections. 
No  one  single  set  of  principles  can  be  laid  down  for  the  granting  of 
credit.  If  it  stimulates  business  and  does  not  result  in  loss,  it  should 
be  followed.  If  it  does  the  former  but  does  not  guarantee  against 
the  latter,  its  use  is  doubtful.  No  merchant  should  adopt  a  credit 
policy  without  previously  giving  the  matter  careful  thought.  If 
he  has  adopted  it  he  will  continue  it  only  if  it  proves  satisfactory. 

In  summary,  it  may  be  said  that  to  meet  competition  in  the  retail 
meat  field  requires  efficient  management.  This  extends  to  price  and 
quality  of  goods  and  to  the  service  rendered.  It  requires  effective 
advertising  and  display ;  necessitates  constant  attention  to  operating 
expenses;  requires  careful  purchasing,  cutting,  and  trimming  of 
meat,  and  familiarity  with  the  changes  in  wholesale  prices  and  trade 
demands.  No  dealer  can  expect  efficiently  to  operate  a  store  without 
a  knowledge  of  every  phase  of  retailing,  and  to  acquire  such  knowl¬ 
edge  he  must  be  a  student  of  his  business. 

KEEPING  RECORDS 

A  study  made  by  the  Department  of  Agriculture  in  over  1,000 
retail  meat  shops  shows  that  in  three-fourths  of  these  shops  the  pro¬ 
prietors  kept  no  records  or  kept  records  which  consisted  of  crude 
memoranda.  Adequate  accounts  are  of  great  importance  in  the 
intelligent  control  of  the  retail  meat  shop. 

The  more  important  reasons  why  the  dealer  should  maintain 
l^roper  records  are: 

1.  They  show  him  just  what  the  business  is  doing  and  how  it 
stands  financially. 

2.  They  help  to  stop  leaks  that  spring  from  dishonesty  and  care¬ 
lessness. 

3.  They  enable  the  dealer  to  become  a  more  intelligent  competitor 
with  his  neighboring  retail  meat  dealers. 

4.  The  peculiar  conditions  in  the  meat  business  make  it  advisable 
to  keep  records.  The  frequent  changes  in  wholesale  and  retail 
prices,  together  with  the  difficulty  of  determining  the  cost  of  cuts, 
make  it  impossible  to  determine  margins  and  profits  unless  adequate 
records  are  kept. 


ORGANIZATION  OF  THE 

UNITED  STATES  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE 

1925 


fiecretary  of  Agriculture _ W.  M.  Jardine. 

Assistant  Secretary _ I{.  W.  Dunlap. 

Director  of  Scientific  Work _ _ . 

Director  of  Regulatory  Work _ Walter  G.  Campbell. 

Director  of  Extension  Work _ C.  W.  Warburton. 

Director  of  Information _ Nelson  Antrim  Crawford. 

Director  of  Personnel  and  Business  Adniinis- 

tration -  W.  W.  Stockbergee. 

Solicitor _ R.  W.  Williams. 

Weather  Bureau _ Charles  F.  Marvin,  Chief. 

Bureau  of  Agricultural  Economics _ Thomas  P.  Cooper,  Chief. 

Bureau  of  Animal  Industry _ John  R.  Mohler^  Chief. 

Bureau  of  Plant  Industry _ William  A.  Taylor,  Chief. 

Forest  Service _ W.  B.  Greeley,  Chief. 

Bureau  of  Chemistry _ C.  A.  Browne,  Chief. 

Bureau  of  Soils _ Milton  Whitney,  Chief. 

Bui'cau  of  Entomology _ L.  O.  Howard,  Chief. 

Bureau  of  Biological  Survey _ , _ E.  W.  Nelson,  Chief. 

Bureau  of  Puhlic  Roads _ Thomas  H.  MacDonald,  Chief. 

Bureau  of  Home  Economics _ Louise  Stanley,  Chief. 

Bureau  of  Dairying _ C.  W.  Larson,  Chief. 

Fixed  Nitrogen  Research  Laboratory _ F.  G.  Cottrell,  Director. 

Office  of  Experiment  Stations _ E.  W.  Allen,  Chief. 

Office  of  Cooperative  Extension  Work _ C.  B.  Smith,  Chief. 

Library _ Claribel  R.  Barnett,  Librarian 

Federal  Horticultural  Board _ C.  L.  Marlatt,  Chairman. 

Insecticide  and  Fungicide  Board _ «. _ J.  K.  Haywood,  Chairman. 

Packers  and  Stockyards  Administi'ation _ John  T.  Caine,  in  Charge. 

Grain  Futures  Administration _ J.  W.  T.  Duvel,  in  Charge. 


This  circular  is  a  contribution  from 
Bureau  of  Agricultural  Economics _  Thomas  P.  Cooper,  Chief. 

Division  of  Livestock,  Meats,  and  WooF.  C.  V.  Whalin,  in  Charge. 

Northwestern  U niversity _ _  Walter  Dill  Scott,  President. 

Bureau  of  Business  Research _ _ _  Horace  Secrist,  Director. 

44 


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